This Is Beggining To Look Like Malik Again
by Phantom-wolf925
Summary: Mika Ishtal, an ordinary teen, lives with her aunt Isis. Okay, maybe not that ordinary. Her father, Malik, mysteriously disappeared and Mika is left with the Millennium Rod...and its dangers... so i suck at summaries. Bite me.
1. Prolougue

This Is Beginning To Look Like Malik All Over Again...  
By: Malik's silver wolF  
  
Prologue  
  
A door slammed. The click of a lock, hurried footsteps sounded through the house. A girl the age of sixteen crept to the top of the stairs. She couldn't see anything in the pitch black darkness. As her lavender eyes adjusted, she made out the figure of her father pace around the living room below. He paused and said, "Come out here." The girl stared. Did he see her? His back was turned toward her, how could he know? Then there was a flash of light and a slightly stronger and taller figure appeared next to her father. The girl blinked. Did her eyes deceive her or was she suddenly seeing double? No, there were two figures in the dark. The girl watched as her father began pacing around again. Silence...Then...  
"I know what you were up to in that alley." The man standing in the middle of the room remained silent. "And now Yami thinks it was me." He stopped to glare at the taller figure. The girl knew that glare very well. His lavender eyes bore into you, piercing into your very soul, the cold harshness of them making you feel small and weak and sending chills down your spine. "You tried to make it look like it was me. The Rad***ed Pharaoh is going to kill me." he went on, his voice getting louder with every word. "I hate you! You don't give a d*** about anyone! Before I die, I'm going to tell you what I think about you: You're a selfish b****** who will never change! You manipulate human's emotions, pretending to be their friend, then you turn on them! You're a crazy psychopath! You think it's all right to go on killing sprees! Did you ever stop to think those people actually have lives? No! You won't help anyone or let anyone help you! Well **** you!" The other man flinched.  
Her dad stopped yelling and lowered his voice. "Jacka**. You disgust me. Get out of my sight. I don't ever want to see you again." The other simply stood there, stunned. After a few seconds, the girl watched as with one swift motion, he grabbed her father by his shirt and lifted him off the ground. "Stop it!" the girl cried, fling herself down the stairs. She ran to her father, tears streaming down her cheeks. The other paused. He stared into her eyes for a moment. Then he dropped her dad. He fell to the floor and stayed there paralyzed with terror. The girl knelt on the floor next to him. "Dad?" she whispered. Then she suddenly turned around, furious and raging at the other man, only to find that he was...gone.  
She turned around and helped her father to his feet. He leaned against the wall, wincing in pain, and put a hand on his arm. The girl pulled his hand away to reveal a deep cut in his arm. "What happened?" she said. But the Egyptian shook his head. "Mika...look, you've got to get out of here." he said to the girl. Then he reached into his pocket. "Here, take this. Don't let anyone ever take it from you." he said as he handed her something. Though the girl couldn't see it, she felt cold metal and sharp points on the end of a long rod. "What is it?" she asked, looking at her father with a curious look on her face. "The Millennium Rod. One of seven powerful items. Show it to Ryou Bakura...You remember him, right? He'll tell you about it. He can't show you everything, though. Talk to Bakura, okay?" The girl nodded. "But...beware of the spirit...and be careful around Yugi. Got it?" She nodded again, though a little confused. Suddenly, her dad straightened and stood still.  
"He's coming..." he whispered. The girl saw the terrified look on her father's face and worried. "Dad, what's going on? Who's coming?" she said, her voice shaking with fear. Somehow, she felt his fear and knew something was terribly wrong. Her father hugged her briefly and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you." he whispered in her ear and he released her from his arms. A tear rolled down her cheek, she didn't understand. "Go to Bakura's house. Go now! Hurry!" he said as he pushed her away. "Take the long way there. Go!" her dad yelled. But she didn't move. "I won't leave you, Dad!" she cried. More tears rolled down her face. "Go, Malika. Do it for me. Please." The blonde Egyptian now had tears in his eyes. "I don't want you to get hurt." he said, his voice now cracking. A tear slid down his cheek. The girl finally nodded and backed away slowly. Then she turned and ran through the kitchen and out the back door, tears streaming down her face. She clutched the Millennium Rod close to her chest as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, never looking back. A few minutes later when she was almost around the corner, a pain filled scream rang through the silence of the night. But she kept running, tears falling more heavily, never to see her father again. 


	2. 1 A visit with Ryou Bakura

Chapter 1: A Visit With Ryou Bakura  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do own my oc Mika, but I don't own Ryou Bakura, Yami Bakura, Malik, Isis, or Kaiba Corp., etc. But Mika is MINE!  
  
I am also an artist, and if you want to see a pic of Mika, please go to ShadowWolfs.deviantart.com and look for the pic 'Mika and the Tyrant Dragon' in my gallery. ^^  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: A Visit With Ryou Bakura  
  
Mika Ishtal  
  
I lied on the couch, my head buried in a pillow. It was 7 in the morning and a school day. School started at 8:15 and I was all ready. Until it was time to go, there was nothing to do but lie around...and think about that dream. Why did it keep haunting me? He died over two weeks ago!  
  
Maybe I should explain 'he'. My father, Malik Ishtal, died two weeks ago. It is still unclear exactly how he died. They think he committed suicide. I knew my father better than that. He wouldn't kill himself. All I know is they found a knife dripping with blood by his body that morning. His throat was cut badly by the knife and he was dying when someone found him. It was too late, he was on the brink of death...by the time medical help arrived he was dead...  
  
I haven't fulfilled my promise to him that I'd show Bakura, his friend that lived close to us, the Millennium Rod. Maybe today was the day...maybe I'd show him the Rod today...  
  
Me? I'm Mika Ishtal, Malik's daughter. I look just like my dad, a mirror image of him. My Mom died when I was two years old, I never got to know her. My father told me she died in a car accident, but when I told this to Bakura some few years later, he looked at me and I saw the great sympathy for me in his gentle brown eyes. Still to this day, I can't figure out why he looked at me like that, as if he were saying, "If only you knew..." Then a voice interrupted my thoughts.  
  
"Mika? You should not be lying around, you have school." I pointed to my book bag by the door. My aunt rolled her eyes. "Mika, you know very well that you cannot wear jewelry to school. Now take it off." I took off the gold choker and set it on the small table in front of the couch with a look that plainly said, "There, happy?" But noooo, this didn't satisfy her. "All of it." Grumbling, I took off the pure gold bracelets hidden under my sleeves. I complained about 'the stupid school and its stupid rules' under my breath. "Why do they make us wear these stupid uniforms anyway?" I growled. I lied back against the couch and stared at the ceiling. "Why couldn't I have been home schooled? Dad was." I muttered. "When it is eight 'o clock, I want you to leave and get to school." Aunt Isis said before leaving to go to her bedroom. I didn't even nod my head. My aunt might as well have been talking to a wall. But I figured I'd have to go to school eventually. With a sigh I stretched, got to my feet and grabbed my book bag as I walked out the door.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After school, I walked toward home, changed my mind, turned around and started off to the park. When I was almost halfway there, I turned around and headed the opposite way. Not sure where to go, I paced in front of the tall Kaiba Corp. Building. Back and forth, back and forth. I tried to decide where to go. I stopped suddenly. Pacing. It was a habit my father had of doing and I inherited it from him. He was pacing in that dream. The dream. I made a promise to my father and I must keep it. My mind made up, I walked in the direction of Bakura's house.  
  
I caught Bakura just in time. He was outside and was closing the door behind him. He looked flustered, in a hurry. I called his name. His keys jingled loudly in his hand when he jumped and turned quickly to face me. He seemed very relieved when he saw me. "Hello Mika. How was school?" he greeted me, dropping his arm to his side. "Fine, thank you. Gomen nasai, did I catch you at a bad time?" Apparently, he was about to go somewhere. "...Well...No, not really. Why, is it important?" was his reply. I wondered whether to ask or just leave. My hand wandered to my open backpack and grasped the Millennium Rod. For a second, I thought I saw Bakura's eyes darken in a cold stare. Then he blinked innocently and I thought I was just seeing things. I slowly took the Millennium Rod out from behind my back. The expression on Bakura's face instantly changed.  
  
"The Millennium Rod...!" he whispered. His eyes never left the Millennium Rod as he murmured to himself. "Of course...He had to pass it on to someone...But...Good God...You-him...It can't be..." His eyes finally darted up to meet mine. But what I saw made me wish he hadn't.  
  
His eyes...They were bitter, cruel...mirthless...They weren't the soft hazel eyes of Bakura I knew...Like...Some kind of...evil lurked within them. A chill went down my spine as he glared at me. He glanced back at the Rod and then, suddenly, his mouth twisted into a malicious smirk and he pinned his unfaltering gaze on me again. "I know why you came here." he said. "You want me to explain about this to you." he said, pointing to the Rod in my hand. "The Millennium Rod...One of the most powerful of the Millennium Items...Give that here."  
  
He reached out for the Rod. A strong feeling of hatred rose up in me. But as quick as it came, it was gone. I was stunned to feel such hatred toward Bakura. I've know him all my life. I shook it off and watched Bakura's hands enclose around the cool metal of the Millennium Rod. He then turned it over in his hands, examining it. He felt the sharp edges on the round sphere at the end of the long rod, his fingers pausing at a certain spot half way on the rod before tracing the eye of Anubis on the sphere. My skin prickled uncomfortably. {How dare he take the Millennium Rod from me...how dare he even touch it with his unworthy, filthy hands...the worthless tomb robber...}  
  
I was startled to hear myself think this...to hear my own voice in the back of my head speak so bitterly. This was a dream...everything was turning upside-down...{Give that back...You are not worthy to hold it...} the voice snarled.  
  
Bakura glanced up at me with his harsh eyes narrowed. He ran his hand over the Rod again, as though teasing me. Indeed, it did. I flinched. Bakura put the Millennium Rod in my hand, smirking. "Your father..." he said. "He told you about the Rod, ne?" "You know what powers it has...to keep it away from thieves..." What? Powers? This thing could actually do something? "You do know...don't you?" "..." The only reply he got was a blank look. "You don't know. Oh Ra..." he said. 'What...did he say?' "I thought you didn't speak Egyptian...Ancient Egyptian at the least..." I said. He ignored me. Only Egyptians-who knew how to speak Ancient Egyptian as well-said 'Ra'.  
  
"Well...I can't tell you about the Rod..." Bakura said. "But...I can tell you about the history of the Millennium Items." Bakura chuckled, saying, "Your father was right to have you come to me. There are other Items beside the Rod. They are called the Millennium Items, of course. I have one myself...the Millennium Ring." he said as he unbuttoned his shirt. Dangling against his chest was a gold pendant. It had five gold cones hanging off the sides of a large ring. In the center of the ring was a triangle with the all too familiar eye of Anubis in the center. On the top of the ring was a hoop in which a rope was tied around so it hung like a necklace around his neck. "Wow...it's pretty..." I said as I ran my fingers along the cold metal. I could feel the power radiating from it. Then I felt a strange desire to grab it, rip it off his neck so it could be all mine...  
  
I tried to quickly pull my hand back the instant I saw the twisted smirk flash on Bakura's face. Bakura grabbed my wrist in a painfully tight grip. Tears sprang to my eyes. Chill after chill went down my spine as I stared into his hard resentful eyes. With a cruel smile he tightened his grip. My hand went limp as I pulled it away from the Ring. He let go of my arm. Bakura leaned against the door and folded his arms across his chest. "Let me make this a little kids' fairytale. Once upon a time in Egypt there were seven Millennium Items. Seven Items, seven holders. Some of the holders used the items' power to summon monsters from the realm of dark shadows. The monsters got out of control. Soon the world would be enveloped in darkness. A stupid pharaoh locked away the Items' holders inside the items themselves in order to save the world from destruction. The end." he said in a high pitched voice. "Yay?" I said. Bakura hissed under his breath. "****ing Pharaoh...had to stop all the fun...him and his d*mn nobleness..."  
  
"Nice story." I said sarcastically. "Very nice until that little part there." Bakura looked up at me. There are three Millennium spirits...that I know of. They are darker personalities of their hikaris. You never know whether a dark spirit might be within someone...Two of them are nearer than you think..." he said. I looked around as though expecting to see them somewhere. "Take some time out of your day and try to figure out what I mean...and try to figure out how to use the Rod. Your yami might be of some help...though I strongly doubt it..." Bakura said. "Can you tell me anything-"I started, but Bakura cut me off. "No. Sorry, I cannot tell you anything else. I've got to go somewhere now."  
  
'Fine, be that way...' I thought angrily. I didn't want to be around Bakura anymore. He just seemed so much...darker than the Bakura I knew. And I longed to see those warm hazel eyes again...an almost fatherly glance and a welcome inside...I so wished to see the real Bakura again. I stared hard into his eyes hoping to see those friendly, soft eyes behind the dark harsh eyes. The same harsh calculating eyes glared back. "Ja...ne..." I said softly. I turned slowly and stepped off the porch. I felt a light touch on my shoulder. I turned to find Bakura, the friendly real Bakura, staring back with an apologizing glance. "Gomen nasai..." he said softly. I smiled. "Look, I know I'm not your father, but...I was his friend. And...well...if you ever need anything, I'm here." he said. "Arigatou, Bakura." I said before flinging myself in his arms. He hugged me briefly then pulled away and said goodbye. Then I walked home.  
  
Yami Bakura  
  
"Bakura!" I heard someone call. [If its that Radamned salesman again, I'm sending him to the shadow realm!] I growled at Ryou through the mental link, making him jump. {That's your solution to everything, yami.} Ryou said with a sigh. [It is not!] I argued. {Yes it is, it's either 'If you don't shut up foolish mortal I'll send you to the shadow realm with the powers of my Millennium Ring' or 'Stupid tellyfone you better work or I'll send you to the shadow realm!'}my white haired hikari said. I grumbled. You had to admit the guy made a good imitation.  
  
Ryou turned and saw none other than Mika Ishtal, Malik's daughter. She looked so much like the only friend I ever had and therefore, it made me slightly sad to see her. Simply because she reminded me so of Malik. No one ever knew what happened to him. They tried to investigate the scene and found nothing except a blood covered knife and the blood stained carpet. He just disappeared. The fools assumed it was some kind of strange suicide because they never found any footprints beside his daughter's and Isis's. They said that there was so much blood loss that there was no way he could be alive. I knew it had to be a spirit. Even Malik wouldn't commit suicide. Even he was too smart for that. A spirit did something to Malik. No one listened to me. But that was two weeks ago. I had to let it go.  
  
Ryou talked to Mika. I paid no attention until Mika pulled out the Millennium Rod. I immediately took control after Ryou stared at it for a moment. {Yami, what are you doing?! You can't just-} [Watch me.] I snarled. "...It can't be..." I muttered. How could she end up with the Millennium Rod? How could she hold an item of such great power...? My eyes darted up to meet hers, searching for answers. I smiled as I sensed a bit of fear from the girl. I turned my eyes back to her and a stronger sense of fear came from her. "The Millennium Rod...Give that here." I said, reaching a hand toward the Rod. I felt...much hate and anger radiating from Mika. How...I wondered.  
  
The moment my fingers touched the Rod, I saw a shadow of cruel dark red eyes flicker. I took the Rod anyway, though shaken yet not showing it. I knew those red, blood chilling eyes. I examined the Rod, as if hoping there was something to prove it was not real...that Malik was alive somewhere...with the Rod...But this was the real thing. I felt no power coming from the Rod...strange...  
  
I glanced at Mika. She seemed to be in a trance of some kind. Then she looked at me again and I narrowed my eyes. I teased her a bit, not giving the Item back straight away. She flinched. I smirked and handed the Rod back. I told her the history of the Millennium Items ...as he would have wanted. I even went so far as to show her my Ring. Except when she touched it I couldn't control mt reflex to grab her wrist painfully. The look of pure shock on her face was satisfying enough, so I let go. What bothered me, however, was this strong desire within her to take the Ring right off my neck, the greedy, dark look in her eyes. It was nothing I was worried about, just concerned. Concerned was all...  
  
Mika stared at me when I was finished. By the way she stared hard into my eyes, I think she wanted to see Ryou.  
  
{Now see what you've done...?} Ryou said.  
  
[What the hell did I do?] I snapped.  
  
{Onegai...can I have my body back?}  
  
[...]  
  
{At least to say good bye? She looks...sad...}  
  
[...Alright]  
  
Ryou took over and said something to Mika...I didn't hear or pay attention. That left me to ponder over the strange feelings I felt from the girl. Malik told her nothing of the Rod...but the true question is this: Is she worthy enough to control its powers?  
  
I lay down on a bed in my soul room and rolled on my back to stare at the ceiling in thought. [Looking at her...its like seeing him again...] I didn't notice my thoughts were slipping through the mental link. [He was the only friend I had...or the closest thing to one. I wish I knew what happened to Malik...If I knew...whoever killed him would be writhing in pain on the ground, suffering...I would be standing over him, laughing...before I'd give the final blow and he'd be in the depths of hell...crying for mercy...and I wouldn't give him any...for the cowardly bastard he is...] My eyes closed as I drifted off to sleep...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yugi Mutou sat alone on a couch in the empty game shop. He looked up at the sound of a bell jingle softly. An Egyptian with blonde hair that flared out and lavender eyes walked in. The ice cold eyes fixed their cold glare on Yugi. "Yami Malik!" Yugi leaped to his feet. "What do you want?" Yugi said. "Must you greet me in such a harsh tone, Yugi?" Yami Malik said, pretending to look slightly hurt. "You and I both know I have no reason to trust you." Yugi responded coldly. "It's rather suspicious that you come here..." "Yes, I understand. But can we forget the past and start all over? Though it's been quite a few years...can we just be friends?" the spirit said, holding out his hand.  
  
Yugi was very surprised. Friends? With Yami Malik? There was an apologetic look on the Egyptian's face...maybe this wasn't another of his manipulating tricks...perhaps it wasn't another of his sick, twisted games...Yugi reached for Yami Malik's hand slowly. Nothing seemed dangerous about it..."Yami Malik...well...if you're willing to set aside our past and start off new, I am too!" Yugi said before grasping Yami Malik's hand in a friendly way.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ryou Bakura  
  
[Don't trust him, fool! I heard my yami snarl. 'What...is he talking about?' I thought. "Trust who?' I stopped walking when my yami growled again. [Yugi, you naive fool...can't you see the playful glimmer in his eyes...? Don't...trust...him...]  
  
I realized I had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and a small crowd of people had gathered to stare at me. I blinked and walked away nervously into a small alley unnoticed by anyone. { yami?} There was no answer. {y-yaaammii...} [That...lying...bastard...] he growled. I wondered what was wrong with my yami...Was he...sleep talking? From a bad dream? Maybe...I'd have to find out...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Malik? Is that you?" Yugi asked the hooded figure in the dark night. He strained his eyes to make out the features of the face. "Malik...?" he said uncertainly. The figure moved closer and moonlight washed over him. He wore a long black cloak with a hood which hid his face in shadow. "Malik? What have you brought me here for? And in the middle of the night..."  
  
"You'll see..." the Egyptian came closer to Yugi. Yugi didn't see his fingers grip the Millennium Rod and make it into a dagger in the darkness. "Malik...?" Yugi asked uneasily. Said person laughed. "Be a good friend and hand over the Millennium Puzzle." a cold voice said from under the hood. A chill went down Yugi's spine as he grasped the chain around his neck.  
  
[No...]  
  
"Don't even think of calling out to the Pharaoh! Just give me the Puzzle." the Egyptian ordered.  
  
[No...]  
  
"No." Yugi said, tightening his grip on the chain. "Yugi...you've always been a naive fool. All grown up now, but you still act so childish! Now...the Puzzle or your life!" the Egyptian said, thrusting the dagger into Yugi's chest with just enough force to draw a little blood. The blade was placed directly over Yugi's heart. "Now...don't make a single move...with a jerk of my hand I can easily take your life away...so don't move a muscle..." He then slipped his other hand around Yugi's neck and pulled the chain...  
  
{Yami! Are you okay?}  
  
[Don't...the...Puzzle...liar..]  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Yami? Yami? ...Yami, wake up!"  
  
My eyes flashed open. I found Ryou staring at me with wide eyes. He was on top of me, his hands on my shoulders shaking me gently. "I...had....a dream..." I explained. I could not hide the terrified look in my eyes. "A...strange...dream..."  
  



	3. 2 Yami Bakura's Memories

Chapter 2: Yami Bakura's Memories  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here on my computer writing fan fiction, I'd be glomping Malik or something! Yup. ^^  
  
Yami Bakura: Then what's this paper here saying 'I own Yugioh!'?  
  
Silver wolf: Gimme that. *tears up paper* You never saw that. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Yami Bakura's just being an ass.  
  
Yami Bakura: 0_o  
  
Silver Wolf: BURN! *burns paper* YOU SAW NOTHING!!!  
  
Yami Bakura: Riiight.  
  
Mika Ishtal  
  
The long gold rod rested in my hand. "Its gold. And valuable. But does it do anything?" I muttered. A cruel laugh broke the silence. I looked around my room and out my window, but I couldn't tell here the laugh was coming from. No one was in my room but me. My skin prickled uncomfortably as I told myself that over and over again. I shook my head. No one was in here but me. Just me. I set the Rod on the bed and pulled my pajama top off before tossing it in a corner of my room. I ran a hand through my light blonde hair.  
  
"I am not insane, damnit." I growled, glaring at my reflection in the mirror. I grabbed my father's old white shirt from a pile of clean clothes lying in the corner of my room. I then changed into a pair of black pants and slipped on shoes, also my dad's. he was the same size as me when he was my age. Therefore, he had passed down everything to me. I put on gold jewelry and my dad's earrings as well. I looked in my reflection in the mirror a second time. I was slightly surprised at my appearance. I looked like Dad in that photo taken at some tournament 20 years ago, called Battled City.  
  
I turned away from the mirror. I didn't want to think about Dad. Not now.  
  
[That's right. Forget about your father. He is no longer here.] the harsh voice said in the back of my mind.  
  
{You're damn right. Who the hell are you to know he is not alive?}  
  
[Why, I am your yami.] he laughed. My...'dark'? That made no sense...no sense at all.  
  
{Will you just speak straight and tell me what the hell you're talking a bout?!}  
  
[Hm. Tell me, hikari, how does it feel to be 'talking to yourself'? To know you're going out of your mind?] A bitter, mirthless laugh echoed in my mind.  
  
{No...}  
  
{No...Who are you!?}  
  
[I told you...I'm your yami.]  
  
{You have no real name?} I demanded.  
  
[Not really...]  
  
{What do you know about my father?!}  
  
[Everything...But he's gone. Forget him.]  
  
{How can I forget him?! Why should I?! He's my father. Why?!}  
  
[Do not worry about him...]  
  
[You have other things to worry about now...ha ha ha ha ha ha!]  
  
White hot pain seared through my body. I cried out and stumbled against the bed. I was temporarily blinded, I couldn't see a thing. Before I could react, another wave of pain passed though me. My whole body felt like it was on fire. The pain felt like it was coming from the inside, burning my very bones. I fell to my knees, screaming. The last thing I remembered was pitch black darkness with no end, coldness beyond chilling. Eerie shadows seemingly dancing behind me. And a bitter laugh. Then all went dark as I lost consciousness.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yami Bakura  
  
"Yami, you're sure you'll be alright?"  
  
"I'm fine, Ryou."  
  
"Because I don't have to go to the Kame Game Store, you know-"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"I can stay here-"  
  
"Really, Ryou, I'm fine."  
  
"You just seemed really shaken up, and it made me think that-"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Just the look on your face and everything, I-I don't think I should leave you-"  
  
"I'm fine, Ryou"  
  
Ryou sighed. "No, you're supposed to put that on your forehead." Ryou took the wet cloth in my hand and put it on my forehead. "It'll help you feel a little better." He pushed me back into the couch. "I'm fine, dammit." "You are not fine, yami! I-I don't know what happened, but I've never seen you like this, and that can only mean it's a bad thing! And I don't think you should be alone..." "Ryou!" I yelled. I was on my feet before I even realized it and steered Ryou to the front door by the shoulders. He protested, dug his heels into the carpet and leaned back. I pushed him with all the strength left in me, and it still wasn't enough. As a result, Ryou collapsed on top of me. I cursed in Egyptian under my breath before I tried to push Ryou off me. "Ra dammit, get off me!" I snarled. I was too weak to even push him off.  
  
"Just go, dammit! Go see that bastard, Yugi and the Radamned Pharaoh! I don't care!" I yelled. I stood up, staggered, and fell backward onto the couch. "Yami...You're in the worst condition I've seen you yet...And Yugi's called me over to see a shipment of new cards...You should make an effort to be friendly to him...for once. "And why should I?" I snapped. Ryou sighed again. "I see I'm not going to win this one. I'm leaving, alright? Bye." He picked up a jacket off the floor and left, locking the door behind him.  
  
I flopped down carelessly on the couch. I rolled over on my side and stared at the...telivison, was it? Teli...tele...televisor...Damn. I stared at the blank box with the Ra cursed name I cannot pronounce correctly.  
  
I remember doing this...Only it was on and flipped to the news channel (the only time I ever watched it)...two weeks ago...on the tenth of November...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ryou, I can't have any peace in thi house with you bothering me constantly about 'being lazy.'"  
  
"You are!"Ryou cried. "You don't offer to help me for anything!" Yami Bakura rolled his eyes.  
  
"This is being lazy." he said, throwing himself on the couch. He yawned and put his arms behind his head, leaning back casually with a playful grin.  
  
"Look at you. You look like you're king of the world." Ryou said.  
  
"Oh, really? How about this? 'Bow down to the mighty Pharaoh of Egypt! I rule all! You! Servant, get me my coffee!" Yami Bakura grinned widely. Ryou smiled as well.  
  
"Oh, but my Pharaoh, there is no coffee. You were to go to the store and get some." he said as he mock bowed to his yami. "Or have you forgotten?"  
  
"Was I? Well servant, you shall go to the Starbucks across the street and bring me my coffee."  
  
"Well, why don't you get off your royal butt and go get it yourself?" Ryou said. He then threw a pillow at the yami's head. This caught him off guard and for a minute or so he looked surprised. Ryou was sure he was in for it this time. There was a deadly silence. Yami Bakura simply stared at the hikari, in a state of complete shock. Ryou had never acted this way...  
  
Then, a smile, a true smile, spread across the spirit's face as he grabbed a pillow and aimed for Ryou's head. Ryou's eyes went wide and he ducked just in time. The pillow had barely whizzed over his hair before he had already grabbed a second pillow and threw it at his darker half. Yami Bakura dodged. A pillow fight broke out and the two were soon laughing as they dodged pillows and Yami Bakura had even hid behind the couch as a fort. Ryou crept up behind his yami on his hands and knees. He had just about got his yami and win the fight, but that never happened. For Yami Bakura grabbed Ryou around the waist and pulled him to the floor. Ryou tried to break free. "Don't make me use my ultimate weapon." Ryou pretended to threaten his yami. "What 'ultimate weapon' could you possibly possess, hikari?"  
  
Ryou flung himself on top his yami so quickly he fell over backward. Ryou tickled Yami Bakura in the stomach. Yami Bakura couldn't help laughing when Ryou hit his ticklish spot. For the first time in his life, Ryou the sinister edge was gone from his yami's laugh. It was instead replaced with joy Yami Bakura hadn't felt since he was a child, more than 3000 years ago.  
  
Both yami and hikari fell over on the couch, exhausted, yet smiling at each other. "You were never this fun." Ryou said. "I was a villain, a thief, soul stealer. What would you expect? The only 'fun' I ever had was having pleasure in seeing weak mortals writhe in pain." Yami Bakura replied. "And killing bastards that tick me off." Ryou suddenly became aware that the television was on. 'Someone must have hit the button accidently and turned it on.' Ryou thought. He reached for the remote on the floor and paused, staring at the screen.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"Its...Jou..."  
  
"Wha..."  
  
"Jou. Jounouchi's on the news."  
  
"Mr. Katsuya Jounouchi, can you tell us anything about..." a news reporter held up a microphone to Jounouchi. Jounouchi shoved it away. "Just a few words, Mr. Jounouchi?" "How 'bout 'no'?! Look, I just found him like that. He needs medical help immediately! No you can't come in the house! I said..."  
  
"That's Malik's house..." Yami Bakura said.  
  
Jounouchi shoved the reporter away rudely. "Will ya all just leave?! The poor guy is in such bad condition, ya can't just burst in on 'im! Back off, bitch! Are the paramedics here yet?! I need help! And someone get those cameras off!" Jounouchi pushed the reporter away from him angrily again. "Excuse me?!" she cried. Jounouchi pushed her further away from the door. "He's a bloody mess and all...I don't think he'll be able to answer any of your damn questions!" Finally, sirens were heard and an ambulance drove into the driveway. "Ah!" Jounouchi cried with relief. A paramedic rushed out and approached Jounouchi. "Look, he's in here. He needs help right away! I couldn't do anything with Miss Nosy here tryin' ta get in." Jounouchi opened the door. 'Miss Nosy' tried to follow them in, but Jou slammed the door in her face. She straightened her skirt and brushed herself off hastily. Then she turned back to the camera. "Well, it appears that..."  
  
The paramedic came back out before she could finish. The reporter excitedly help up the microphone to the paramedic. "Sir, can you tell us who it is that is seriously injured? How bad are his injuries?"  
  
The paramedic was, however, not like Jounouchi and answered. He opened his mouth and... "Malik Ishtal is seriously wounded. I cannot tell how these horrible cuts were brought upon him. There is a large cut across his chest and his arm and others wounds too, though not as deep as the one on his chest. Whether he did it himself or someone else inflicted damage, but there is a blood covered knife on the ground somewhere in the living room." he said.  
  
Ryou and Yami Bakura stared in disbelief. No, it couldn't be...Malik? But...how? They both stared at the television.  
  
The paramedic went to his truck and took out a first aid kit. He rushed back to the door of the house where Jounouchi stood waiting. They hurried back inside. The reporter and the cameraman hurried to the side of the house, by the window, which was half open. Outside there was silence... Then,  
"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?! HE WAS RIGHT HERE!!! I SWEAR TO GOD HE WAS RIGHT HERE!!!" Jounouchi's loud voice was heard clearly through the open windows. "HE JUST...JUST...DISAPPEARED!!!"  
  
"Sir, please calm down..." said the deep voice of the paramedic. "I'm sure he...Oh my God....."  
  
"......"  
  
"......."  
  
A new voice was heard from inside. His soft voice drifted through the window.  
  
"Jounouchi, calm down. I am here to speak to Malik, not you, mutt. Now where is that cheating bastard..."  
  
"Malik...Malik isn't here...He...He was hurt pretty bad and..."  
  
"I can see that. By all the blood on the floor, it looks like they did a hell of a job. Serves him right, the cheat. Happy holidays, my ass!"  
  
"Kaiba, how could you..."  
  
"There's no reason for me to stay here any longer."  
  
Seto Kaiba walked out the front door. He almost ran into the frantic reporter and her microphone.  
  
"You should all leave now. There is nothing to see." He gestured to the news vans parked at the curb and the crowd of people. With that he left, his blue-green trench coat flaring out behind him. The crowd of people stared after him in shocked silence. No one had noticed him enter the house. The reporter was speechless.  
  
The reporter walked cautiously up the steps to the front door, urging the cameraman to follow her to get a closer shot inside the open door. She gasped in shock. Large pools of blood dyed the carpet red. But there was no trace of Malik. "Th-there is no t-trace of Mal-lik I-Isht-tal." the reporter could not talk straight. Her face was a ghostly white. she stood in silence a few minutes, then her eyes rolled back and she fainted. "MALIK! Malik, are you..."  
  
None other then Malik's sister burst into the house. "Where is my brother? Jounouchi, where is Malik? What happened?" Before Jounouchi could respond, Malik's daughter came in. "Dad, I knew you'd be alright, I knew I'd come home and find you right here, waiting for me, so I could return your Millenn..." Mika's outburst stopped as she looked around. She was as equally confused as her aunt as she looked around. Her eyes rested on Jou. "Jounouchi. Where's my dad? Where is he?!" Jounouchi backed away. "Mika, I had nothing to do with it." "To do with what? Why is a reporter...Who...why are they...where's dad ?....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I lye on his back with the wet cloth on his forehead. I still wondered if Kaiba was actually involved in Malik's 'death'. I had chased after the reporter and sent her to the shadow realm the day after the news report to vent some of my anger. She deserved no better fate, for she had a rumor spread that Malik had committed suicide. Malik hurt himself that badly? These mortals puzzle me. By the Gods, how can such ignorance exist?! Malik would never thrust a dagger into his own skin. He could not enjoy the taste of his own blood, could not stand the pain, know that he could resist it. He couldn't. How these foolish mortals would believe such a thing is beyond me. For that, I hunted down the news reporter.  
  
My mind wandered to the dream I had earlier. I didn't understand it. Why would Malik want the millennium puzzle? He was 40 years old, he didn't need it...So why would he want it? Why would he deceive Yugi after his own yami made peace between them and Yugi? I just didn't understand. I didn't even know when it happened. I never heard of it from Malik...or Yugi. Where was the Pharaoh on that night, anyway? He was supposed to leap to Yugi's side immediately when the runt was in trouble of any sort like the fool he was. Yugi wouldn't know how to defend himself, having never had to handle awkward situations on his own. When danger comes, he won't know what to do. Obviously, Malik knew this. But why in the name of Ra did he want the puzzle? It was of no use to him....Besides, stealing the Millennium items is my job. I wanted so badly to know. Hm....Who better to ask than Yugi himself?  
  
My mind made up, I walked to the Kame Game Store. On my way, parts of the nightmare flashed in my mind.  
  
"No." Yugi said, tightening his grip on the chain. "Yugi...you've always been a naive fool. All grown up now, but you still act so childish! Now...the Puzzle or your life!" A droplet of water trickled down my face. I looked up into the dark sky. More droplets of water hit my face. I shook my head as I realized it had begun to rain.  
  
"Malik? Is that you?" Yugi asked the hooded figure in the dark night.  
  
I broke out into a run.  
  
The figure moved closer and moonlight washed over him. He wore a long black cloak with a hood which hid his face in shadow.  
  
The rain began to pour harder. I passed the gigantic building of Kaiba Corp. I ran on past it.  
  
"Now...don't make a single move...with a jerk of my hand I can easily take your life away...so don't move a muscle..." He then slipped his other hand around Yugi's neck and pulled the chain...  
  
Malik stumbled backward and his back hit a wall. Violet eyes glared at him through the darkness. Malik laughed. "Is that the best you can do?" A hand grabbed the black robe he was wearing. Malik looked up...his eyes flashed a blood red and narrowed.  
  
What...? I didn't remember that...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Silver Wolf:So, what d'ya think? It seems a little longer than the last chapter, but stories tend to do that, right? ^^; In the next chapter-  
  
Malik: Don't spoil it for them!  
  
Silver Wolf: For who? There's hardly anyone that looks at this. Just friends...  
  
Malik: Still! You are supposed to leave it hanging, on the edge of suspense! That's why its called a cliff hanger!  
  
Silver Wolf: Oh.  
  
Malik: *smacks head on wall*  
  
Ryou: No flames please!  
  
*~ Silver Wolf: So, are people going to fall of a cliff that I just leave there?  
  
Malik: *smack*  
  
Silver Wolf: I should do a christmas story. I think I should make up my own. I see way too many of the same story out there. *~*~ 


	4. 3 I Miss You, Malik

Malik stumbled backward and his back hit a wall. Violet eyes glared at him through the darkness. Malik laughed. "Is that the best you can do?" A hand grabbed the black robe he was wearing. Malik looked up... his eyes flashed a blood red and narrowed.  
  
What... ? I didn't remember that...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 3: I Miss You, Malik...  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I own nothing 'cept Mika Ishtal. And she's all mine, no one else's.  
  
Idiot boi: 'Cept me! Mika's MINE! *glomps Mika*  
  
Silver Wolf: Dammit Idiot boy, get offa Mika! You're supposed to be with Nakare anyway!  
  
Idiot boi: *won't let go*  
  
Silver Wolf: Your funeral. *whistles* Dessy! Sick 'im!  
  
Desdemona: *snarls and leaps at Idiot boi*  
  
Idiot boi: AHHHHHHHHH! NOT THE DOBERMAN NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! OUCH! AHHHHH!  
  
This is gonna be one loooooooooooooooooong chaptah... So don't fall asleep, people! *crickets chirp* *looks around* Damnit!  
  
{Bleh blah blah} hikari to yami  
  
[Blah blah blah DIE!] yami to hikari  
  
*~*~*  
  
Onegai- please  
  
Abunai- dangerous  
  
Aibou- (sure ppl know this, but o well) what yamis call their light halfs; don't know the true meaning to this  
  
Hikari- (this too) Light  
  
Yami- (and this...) Darkness  
  
Hai- yes  
  
Iie- no  
  
Sennen- Japanese name for millennium (sennen items); 'sen' means thousand  
  
Arigatou- Thank you  
  
Gomen nasai- I'm sorry  
  
Ja ne- see you  
  
Yamette- Stop  
  
Mou hitori no boku- my other self  
  
Nani- What  
  
anzu- means 'apricot'! HA HA HA AH HA HA AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!  
  
yuugi- means 'game' Heh, suits Yugi perfectly. ^^  
  
*~ Thanx to Akei for the jap words and translations!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yami Bakura  
That was definitely not in my dream. So how could I remember it? If I was having flashbacks, then... This was just too weird. Too weird.  
  
I kept running until I reached the Kame Game Store. I didn't pause to even catch my breathe. I ran up the doorstep and flung the door open. 'Yugi... We're going to have a nice little talk... And I'm going to get the information that I need by any means possible...'  
  
Yugi Mutou "Is your yami okay? He usually comes to challenge Yami." I said to Bakura.  
  
"Ah! That's what seemed to be missin'! Bakura, where's your yami?!" Jounouchi finally realized what seemed unusual about Bakura. Bakura frowned as a worried look crossed his face. I glared at Jou.  
  
"Well... Um, it's a long story..." he muttered.  
  
"That's 'kay. We don't have ta do anything or go anywhere. We'll listen." Jou beamed in his way that Bakura never could resist. Feeling assured, he began his story.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
"So... your yami was just lyin' there lookin' real scared? Like he had some kind of nightmare?" Jou questioned Bakura. He nodded. Jou thought for a moment. "What could your yami... the tomb robber who fears NOTHIN'... have dreamed abou' that would scare him that much...?"  
  
"I don't know. He wouldn't talk to me. His only answer was 'I'm fine'."  
  
{Yami, what do you think of all this?}  
  
[I'm not sure, aibou...]  
  
Great, even Yami didn't know what to say. Suddenly I felt a cold chill go down my spine, and the feeling something was terribly wrong. A strange, yet familiar feeling...  
  
[Yugi...Something isn't right...Something very wrong has happened...]  
  
{I know. I just had this weird...but familiar... feeling.}  
  
[......... A disturbance in the Millennium Items!]  
  
{Ah... But... }  
  
[I sense a very strong evil, Yugi...]  
  
{Should we tell the others?}  
  
[No...they have enough to worry about with Bakura. I don't think anything is wrong yet... Besides we cannot do anything until he makes the first move. We cannot charge blindly after something we know nothing about...]  
  
{So we're just going to be sitting ducks and let him hurt us or someone else?!}  
  
[I'm afraid we have no choice, Yugi. Until the enemy reveals himself, we'll be going nowhere.]  
  
I couldn't believe it. A thought then occurred to me.  
  
{Yami...?}  
  
[Yes, aibou?]  
  
{Yami, do you think this has anything to do with...you know, that night-}  
  
[No. Malik is...dead. You know that.]  
  
{But... I just... That night was before Malik died. It's strange.}  
  
[...]  
  
So he wasn't going to answer me. He just seemed... suspicious? I didn't know how to describe it. I decided to put it off my mind for now. I was just hoping this wasn't going to end up like Battle City again... Malik... Isis... Bakura... Jou, Anzu, Honda, Otogi, and Serenity... Mai... even Kaiba didn't throw any huge tournaments for a while. Every one involved never wanted to go through it again. It was hell. And I never want to see Malik again. Not after what he did... It was unforgivable.  
  
I heard the bells on the door jingle that indicated someone came in. I was slightly startled and jumped off the couch I was sitting on. I went down the hallway to the door to see who would come to buy cards in the pouring rain. The door slammed shut and lightning flashed, illuminating the figure in the doorway for a split second. Water dripped from his white hair and he glared down at me through his wet bangs. His hand rested on the door still, as though to hold himself steady as his chest heaved from his hard breathing. He looked ready to faint any second. I was speechless. Without a word, he grabbed the collar of my shirt and lifted me to eye level. Yami Bakura's cold eyes bore into my own. I felt Yami move to take control, but I only told him I could handle it on my own.  
  
"Yami Bakura, are you okay? You look tired." I showed no fear in my eyes. Maybe... this one time I can bring out his soft side... Have a friendly conversation with the cold hearted yami...  
  
"Why would you be concerned about me?" He snapped.  
  
"What do you mean? Of course I'd care. You are, after all, a friend. And you can't deny it anymore." His eyes grew clouded with confusion. Then he snapped out of it and dropped me. I felt my feet hit the floor.  
  
"I just don't...understand you, Yugi." he growled. 'He...didn't hurt me...'  
  
I took his arm and led him through the shop to the to the kitchen. He followed, a bit reluctantly, but still allowed me to lead him. I motioned for him to stay put before I went to the closet and grabbed two towels. I rushed back to the kitchen to find Yami Bakura still there with a patient look on his face. I gave a small smile and handed him a towel. 'If he would only smile back...' I thought. He looked at me for a moment before wiping his face with the towel. Then he rubbed his hair half dry then tossed the towel at me. 'A simple thanks would be nice.' His expression was unreadable as he simply stared at me as though lost in thought.  
  
"Are you... okay?" I asked.  
  
"Did you feel that?" he said softly.  
  
"Feel what... ?"  
  
"A disturbance in the Items..."  
  
"Oh, that...Yeah. I... I did."  
  
Again his eyes were clouded with thought. There was complete silence, then he closed his eyes and shivered. Just then, I felt sympathy for him. His body couldn't help but shake. He had just come out of the storm and dripping with ice cold water, after all. "Come on," I said, starting down the hallway. I looked behind me when he didn't follow. "Well, come on! You can come talk with Jounouchi and Mai!" Yami Bakura blinked. I rolled my eyes, smiling, and grabbed his arm again. I pulled slightly. He finally walked down the hallway. I could hardly believe he was listening to me. 'All he needed was a second chance and someone who is patient with him.' I thought. Half way down the hallway, Yami Bakura stopped abruptly. Then he turned to face me. A small smirk was plastered on his face.  
  
"So, what is it?" he sneered. "What do you want from me? Don't give me that look, Yugi. I know when anyone tries to act kind to me, sweet smiles and offers, 'Here, let me help you.' Like I don't know, Yugi! I have lived long enough in this world to know when people act like sappy suck-ups, all happy and nice, they either want something from you or they're teasing you. They ACT nice, but its just a disguise they put on. Mortals turn around everyday and betray each other! And at first it's amusing, but it really DISGUSTS me at how obvious they make themselves. How pathetic they look." "Yami Bakura, that's not it at all!" He only shook his head, unbelieving, with that infamous taunting smirk.  
  
"If it's not, what else could it be?"  
  
"I'm trying to make you happy, get some kindness out of you...You...You got to have a lighter side. And you don't ever open yourself up to anyone...You're a lone wolf. Now that all these conflicting battles are over, can you be a little nicer? Talk to us?"  
  
Yami Bakura stared at me again. I felt he was testing me for some reason. As if he were trying to figure me out.  
  
"No..." he finally said. "Not even you would sink that low."  
  
"Is there a problem or something? I want to know, really!"  
  
"What are you, a shrink?"  
  
"Just talk to me. Tell me anything! Just try it!"  
  
"All right, I will. Hello Yugi. Nice day we're having, isn't it?"  
  
"See, if you could only do it without sarcasm now."  
  
"That's what you want? For me to act like a boring mortal and have pointless conversations with you and your friends? That I would know nothing about because I have absolutely NOTHING in common with them. I don't know anything that goes on in this world!"  
  
"Exactly! They may be boring to you, but you might actually like it better than sitting alone in a corner. 'Lone wolf!'"  
  
"So... you want me... to talk to your friends. Stop being the lone wolf. Open myself to others, right?"  
  
"Yes! That's it!"  
  
"It's totally against my nature."  
  
"Oh, come on! Just sit with us today. It's not like you have anywhere to go."  
  
"And I'd rather eat the Millennium Ring... than to sit talking among fools who act like they feel sympathy for me."  
  
"See, you think everyone hates you. And no one is to be trusted. Just act like one, once! Let's go talk to Jounouchi and Anzu. You know, Bakura doesn't know you're here! Come on!"  
  
"Yugi, I don't know how to act like you or your friends."  
  
"Then act like your hikari!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yami Bakura  
  
Yugi was an enigma to me. He just wouldn't give up on me. And after all I did to him in the past. I knew his friends would act no different. I was surprised, however.  
  
"Hey, Yugi!" a cheerful female voice called out as Yugi and I walked into the living room. I saw the voice belonged to Mai Jounouchi. I didn't do anything and heard a whisper next to me. "Can you not say 'hi'?" I swallowed. What was the point of this? I came here to talk to Yugi, and I find myself obeying him. Why? I couldn't figure it out. So, swallowing my last bit of dignity...  
  
"Hi, Mai."  
  
The blonde smiled at me. "Hello, Yami Bakura. You decide to crash here as well?" 'Crash? Sure, I came here a little disheveled and wet...I certainly didn't crash here though...' "You look tired. You okay, hun?" She ran a hand along my cheek. Again, with that concerned tone. I blinked. I didn't care anymore. "Oh, I'm fine. Despite the fact I'm soaking wet and out of breath from running, and if I were mortal, I'd probably have caught a cold by now, I'm perfectly fine." I said with a smirk. Mai laughed. I never made anyone laugh in my life! Except for Ryou... a few times.  
  
"Well don't worry, hun. We'll take good care of you." she smiled again. Heh. This wasn't that hard. "Everyone's been worried about you." What? Worried... ?  
  
*~*~*~  
  
"...How ironic that we're thirty years old and Duel Monstas is still around!" Jounouchi laughed.  
  
"Yeah! I know!" Yugi said.  
  
"I didn't know Jounouchi was capable of such words. Ironic? When did you pick that one up?" I said, laughing too.  
  
"Learned it from YOU, mate!"  
  
"Really now?"  
  
"Here we are, after all these years, still best friends!" Yugi said.  
  
"Of course, Yug'!"  
  
"You STILL call him 'Yug'?!" Mai said.  
  
"Yeah, some things neva change."  
  
I snorted. "Like your language!"  
  
We all laughed. Yugi caught my eye and smiled. I stopped resisting and smiled back. Then I heard a motorcycle pull up in front of the house. So used to that sound, having been visited by Malik so many times, I half expected the Egyptian to walk up the driveway and open the door, requesting me to play a game of cards or keep in practice with the millennium items with a shadow duel. But part of me was disappointed to know this wouldn't happen. Thirty seven and Malik still owned the motorcycle. It remained untouched now, sitting in Isis's garage. But it wasn't his. The owner's voice was heard clearly as he approached the game store.  
  
"Damnit!"  
  
"Honda, don't get so frustrated. It's a motorcycle!"  
  
"Yeah, but this thing's been breaking down like this all week! Piece of crap! As soon as I get my truck fixed, I know where this thing's going. IN THE TRASH!!!"  
  
"Honda! We're lucky it broke down near Yugi's!"  
  
Hiroto Honda and Shizuka Jounouchi walked into the game store moments later. Honda closed an umbrella after shaking water off and setting it on the floor. He spotted Jounouchi immediately and rushed over to him. "Honda, my man! How ya been? Hey, sis! Has ya boyfriend been treatin' ya right?" he teased. "Of course he has!" Shizuka said. I laughed. "Yami Bakura!" Honda cried. "The one and only." I replied.  
  
"Weeeeeelllllll, lookie here. The gang's all back together again!" Jounouchi said. He was right. If only there was one more... If he was here... 'If he was here! Everyone would be having a blast!'  
  
"All we need is Malik!" Honda said. Mai gave a worried look and glanced at me to see my reaction. Shizuka and Jounouchi glared at Honda. Yugi also glanced at me.  
  
"If Malik was here, we'd all be drunk and we'd be on the floor rolling over and laughing our asses off!" I said to get rid of the tense atmosphere. Then Jounouchi started laughing, uneasily. Honda joined in, a mischievous glint in his eyes and a broad grin on his face.  
  
"And how about the Christmas party? Merry Kissmas to you!" he said in a singsong voice. I blushed furiously.  
  
"I was drunk! It was Malik's fault, he switched the soda!" I defended.  
  
"It wasn't no kiss on the cheek, it was unda the mistletoe!" Jounouchi remembered too.  
  
"And it wasn't no girl, either!"  
  
"Mai tried to kiss me!"  
  
"We were all high! But, really Bakura, you seem ta have a poor memory!"  
  
"Yeah, I remember perfectly. We got it on tape too! A nice photo... You guys were dirty dancing and it looked all wrong..."  
  
"Oh, shut up! He switched the cans when I wasn't looking! He did it to everyone! How was I supposed to know it wasn't my soda?"  
  
"Yami, you don't even drink soda!"  
  
"True, we all weren't thinking straight."  
  
"Oh, look who's talking Yugi! You and the Pharaoh were having a ball!"  
  
"Well, I- I..."  
  
"Oh, admit it! Yami Bakura, Malik passed you a drink and ya switched his Dr. Pepper with beer! And he dumped it on your head when he caught you. Then you grabbed 'im an' practic'ly forced him to drink so much he got all drunk too! Then, one t'ing led to anotha and then he grabbed you and kissed ya on da lips. An' YOU KISSED BACK! Unda' the mistletoe an' all!"  
  
"'Oh yeah! Come here, you sexay bitch!' "  
  
Everyone burst out laughing.  
  
"But that's NOTHING compared to what happened at the New Year's Eve party years ago!" Ryou laughed. "Jou, do you remember when you made Yugi try some beer for the first time! And he was legally UNDERAGE at the time!"  
  
"Ha ha! I remember tha'! He had a time before he went ou' like a light!"  
  
"Poor Yugi just fainted!"  
  
"He sure wasn' like tha' when you gave 'im sugar! He'd bounce around the house, uncontrollable and whipped his shirt over his head, singin' dirty, embarrassin' songs! And when ya stuck 'im in a pillowcase he'd go an' sing 'I'm A Genie In A Bottle!'" We laughed harder.  
  
"But still, what was even funnier on New Ye-ah's was Kaiba! HA HA HA HA HA!"  
  
Everyone recalled the image of Kaiba in nothing but his custom made Blue Eyes White Dragon boxers with a Blue Eyes plush, dancing to 'Fifty Cent' and singing in a horrible, off key voice. This caused Ryou to laugh so hard he looked as if he were in pain, Yugi fell backwards over his chair (I don't think he noticed, for he just kept laughing) and Jounouchi did likewise, only he fell off the couch. Suddenly the world flipped upside down and I saw Mai's face over mine. I tried to stop laughing and got up weakly off the floor. "S-Sorry, hun." she choked with laughter. I threw a pillow at her without thinking twice... or just not thinking at all. Then an immature pillow fight broke out. The Pharaoh woke up from his soul room, feeling such excitement coming from Yugi, and joined in. We were all teenagers again. Yugi found an old CD and thrust it in the CD player hit a few buttons. The music from back when they were all much younger came on. I think it was something like 'Great Charlot'...'Good Char... 'Good...Good Charlotte.' That was it. They all seemed to know the words to 'Boys and Girls'. I caught on and we were all singing to the song. At the end we all fell backwards on the floor, laughing.  
  
I think Yugi had talked to the Pharaoh, for Yami threw a pillow at me when I was lying on the ground, tired(Not having any action lately, no millennium items to chase after, no bad villain role to play, I was grew tired quickly.). He probably wouldn't have dared play with me otherwise. To throw a pillow at my head! The one whom he loathed and despised, and hated... a pillow! I'd think he'd throw something much harder. I believe some of Yugi was rubbing off on him.  
  
But did he think me that naive? Ha!  
  
"Pillow fight's over, Pharaoh." I grunted. He looked slightly disappointed. As if I had said 'You're not my friend, and therefore, I won't play with you.'  
  
'But honestly, does he think he'd get the same response I would have given him had he been Malik? Of course, if he were Malik, I'd be saying 'Forget the child's play, Malik...and bring out the beers!'' Why did I keep thinking of Malik? Because I was reminded of him...? I shook my head. 'Stop thinking of Malik, damnit!' I told myself angrily. 'He'll never come back!'  
  
'But I miss him...'  
  
What was wrong with me?! Memories of me with Malik were whizzing around in my head. I couldn't think of anything else... but Malik.  
  
Malik and I were playing duel monsters on a tree stump in the woods. Malik laughed when I asked him by what freak of a chance he was here, in the same forest where Ryou had brought me with him to go camping. He replied 'Isis said I couldn't survive in the woods alone with no mind slaves or servants... I told her I could and here I am, proving it. And dreading I ever opened my mouth in the first place. It's so boring here. What is there to do? Stare at the squirrels? Throw acorns at them? Control them with the rod? And do what? Make them kill other squirrels?' 'And roast mushalows in the fire and smush them together with chalklate in between two crackers. Tell fake ghost stories. And take photos of the squirrels.' I replied. Malik laughed. 'You mean smores?'  
  
Malik smirked as he switched Ryou's glass of apple juice with a glass of Bud Light. Ryou smiled at a Jounouchi's joke and Malik watched him anxiously as his fingers enclosed around the glass...the cup raised to his lips...tilted...the liquid almost went down his throat...then Anzu called him. He set the glass down and went over to her. Malik cursed under his breathe. Jounouchi came up to him asking what was wrong. Malik continued to fume. Jou shrugged and took Ryou's glass, mistaking it for his own, and drank it in one gulp. His eyes widened and he choked. Malik clutched his stomach and laughed harder than he had laughed in a long time. I laughed too, watching from across the room. Malik fell to his knees with laughter when he saw Ryou pick up Malik's can of beer thinking it was a soda, and choke.  
  
We were on top of a blimp on a dueling field. Yami Malik stood watching us on one end of the field. Malik argued with me. 'Play the damn card! Do you even have any idea what you're doing?!'  
  
'I know exactly what I'm doing!'  
  
'You obviously don't! You're destroying our lifepoints! And your own body as well! Don't you care?! Be more cautious! He is capable of anything! And your recklessness with our lifepoints is going to be our downfall if you're not careful! Remember our plan!'  
  
'Our? OUR?! I'm the one dueling here!'  
  
'Well, fix your dueling skills and quit destroying your own lifepoints! Remember I know everything he knows! I'm his other half!'  
  
Yami Malik looked on amused and gave a low chuckle. A light danced in his red eyes. We turned in unison to glare at him. I knew everything rode on this duel. And so my strategy involved sacrificing some of my own lifepoints...but look where it had gotten us! And, if the worst came to worst and I lost, I would not disappear forever. Part of my own soul resided in Yugi's millennium puzzle. Malik had broken his pact with me, and so I should be able to cheat a bit as well...  
  
'This is Mika.' Malik said to me. I watched as a two year old girl toddled over to Malik. She could hardly walk. And...so tiny... I could crush her with a stroke of my hand. To do such a thing to something so helpless though was a terrible wrong. It was said in Ancient Egypt that to hurt a baby was to be punished by the Gods. I felt a tug at my jeans and looked down. Mika stood staring up at me. My hard brown eyes softened. She looked just like Malik. 'Well, congratulations, Malik. You're a father.' I smiled at him. The only friendly smile I gave to anyone. 'And she'll grow up to be just as strong as you. And you won't have to worry about her having a painful childhood...as you and I have gone through.'  
  
'That is where you're wrong.'  
  
I whirled around and faced Isis. 'My millennium tauk...predicts a painful past for her to live with... and Malik, little brother, your future is unclear...and faint...' Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. 'Her future is filled with pain...chaos...suffering...and many people are dead...because of her...she loses a close friend... and the Great King of Egypt is cowering before her...bleeding...she seeks to kill him to avenge you, Malik... yet she drowns in darkness... is swallowed up by shadows in the end...' Her face was wet now. Glistening tears on her cheeks. Isis was crying...  
  
'You see a dark future for Mika and me?' Malik was shaking now. Isis nodded. 'I have seen it... your death...' she said. Isis looked straight at me. 'Yami Bakura?' Malik gasped.  
  
The memories came faster now, in flashes. I was oblivious to all that was going on in the room. I couldn't stop them coming and didn't feel my knees hit the floor. Parts of memories flashed before my eyes. All of them of me and Malik at different times, different ages.  
  
Then, I saw Malik, terrified and hanging on a ledge beneath me. We were in Egypt, and Malik hung from a sharp rock sticking out of the cliff. "Malik!" I cried. I reached a hand out to him. The memory faded away and I found myself on the ground before Malik. He glared down at me. I noted the millennium ankh hanging around his neck. I remembered this... he was guarding Shadi's tomb. Shadi had left him responsible for the king's tomb. I had come to Egypt to try to try out my skills as a tomb robber in the modern day. Shadi had called me a 'theif king'. Malik looked down at me with such hatred... I glared back and stood to my feet. "You fell me." I murmured. I put a hand to my chest and pulled it away. Blood dripped from my hand and dropped to the floor of the shadow realm. I watched it fall, and continue falling beneath me. The realm had no boundaries, no limits, or laws. And so the drops of red liquid continued falling endlessly, forever, until I could not see it anymore. Malik had gotten a direct hit. Oh, how I remember how the attack had stung, and pain traveled in powerful waves throughout my body. How the numbness spread throughout me. A blast from a sennen item was different from a cut from a knife, or a punch to the jaw. It set your blood on fire, so great it stung that your body grew numb from a direct hit. That memory too faded away. "My will to live? It has gone down the Nile." I said. (A/N: Remember, they didn't have drains in Ancient Egypt. ^^ Doubt our little 'theif king' knows anything about drains. So in my fic, he says 'it has gone down the Nile' and so be it! =P It's mai fic, mai rulz. *watches a paper that says 'Yami Bakura's will to live' float down a random river* Woah, that wasn't supposed to happen...So, anyway, back to the story...) I took the dagger in my hand and in one swift motion plunged the cold blade into my chest directly above my heart. Only it stopped before it broke the skin."Hey! You can't do this..." Malik held my arm back. "Are you forgetting this is Ryou's body?" I growled and tried to fight Malik off. "One more shadow duel..." I said. We were in a different room now, and Malik was older. "Iie. I can't do this anymore... Not after the last time. It is too dangerous." I pleaded with Malik, something I never resorted to. "Abunai? Since when have you been afraid to play a shadow game? One game... Who am I to duel? Isis will not play me, you know I do not like the pharaoh, and Shadi is half way across the world. Plus, I do not even know if he will play a shadow game for fun. Sure, alright, I'll go rob a tomb and see if he'll come after me. Oh, he'll be pleased to know I didn't mean it. Hai..." "I told you, no." "Onegai... one duel..." He snapped his head around at 'onegai'. "Hai... alright." Then it faded... I leaned against an alley wall. Malik turned around. I watched him fingering the millennium rod. The rod I wanted... Malik thought to himself. He narrowed his eyes and spoke to me. He then faded away and his eyes glowed crimson red in the darkness. He glared up at the pair of violet eyes and laughed bitterly. Then I saw Malik on the floor in his living room, blood spilling onto the carpet, as he crawled forward. His hands, covered in blood, reached out and left red handprints on the floor. His platinum blonde hair was tinged a light red. He strove to move forward.  
  
I didn't see where, because I felt cold water splashed on my face. I slowly came to, coughing. Another splash and I my face and hair were drenched in water. This didn't bother me, but what I was feeling. Pain and... something else... filled my heart. I felt a warm liquid trickle down my cheek. What was it... ?  
  
Yami Yugi  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"  
  
A scream attracted everyone's attention to Yami Bakura. The tomb robber was lying on his back in the same position he had been in since the immature pillow fight. He put his hands to his head as if he had a headache. I heard a loud thud behind me and Jounouchi came running to Yami Bakura, who was still screaming. "RA, MAKE IT STOP! STOP!" Anzu and Yugi rushed to Yami Bakura, followed by light Bakura and Mai. Honda ran into the kitchen with Shizuka. "I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER! YAMETTE! NOOO-OOOOO!" I moved closer to the tomb robber and shook his shoulder. Yami Bakura had rolled over on his side and drawn his knees up to his chest, his hands still on his head. I could see the tufts of his white hair stick out between his fingers. His face was screwed up in pain. I said his name over and over. "Yami Bakura... Yami Bakura... wake up... Yami Bakura... Come on, tomb robber, wake up..." Then I noticed something. My eyes widened in shock. Yami Bakura never... "Yugi, where's Bakura?" "Here." came the answer. Ryou Bakura squeezed between me and Yugi to kneel on the ground next to his yami. "Yami... ?" The white haired hikari tapped his dark on the shoulder. "Yami... what's wrong? Why are you... crying... ?" Warm tears streamed down the theif's cheeks. "Nani... Yami Bakura... cryin'...?" Jounouchi muttered. Then Bakura was shoved aside and water was splashed on his face. Honda stood with a glass filled with water. "Snap out of it." he said. Yami Bakura coughed. Honda threw the rest of the water at him with an uncharacterly smirk. Shizuka glared at Honda. Yami Bakura finally opened his eyes. They were glassy with tears and wide... what was wrong with him?  
  
Yami Bakura scooted away from everyone until his back hit the overturned chair Jounouchi had tripped over. "Leave me be." Yami Bakura said when Jou made to follow him. He half closed his eyes and then pulled his knees up, wrapped his arms around his legs, and buried his head in his jeans. Thick white hair fell over his face. And he sat there and cried.  
  
Ryou Bakura  
  
I moved over to my yami and sat by him. He was crying...  
  
[Ryou...] he called weakly through the mental link. I looked at him. He hadn't moved a muscle. Must have sensed me through the millennium ring.  
  
{Hai, yami. I'm here. Why are you crying?}  
  
[Ah, that's what it is? I... why do I feel this way?]  
  
{You tell me...}  
  
[What do you sense from me? Tap into the powers of the ring...what do you feel...?]  
  
I didn't know how to control the powers of the millennium ring. I tried, however I had no idea what I was doing. I wasn't surprised when nothing happened.  
  
{I can't, yami.}  
  
[Yes you can!] he tried to sound threatening, and failed miserably.  
  
I tried again, without the faintest idea of what to do. I closed my eyes and held the millennium ring. When still nothing happened I reached out to my yami and grasped his arm in a light grip. The ring began to feel warm beneath my fingers.  
  
Then it came over me, with full force. Such a strong feeling of anguish... he missed someone... so much... yami was filled with great pain, despair, and anguish... such a sad feeling washed over me... I didn't want to feel this anymore... it was so painful... to feel such sorrow... pure anguish...  
  
I let go of the ring and it stopped glowing. I opened my eyes and looked at yami.  
  
[You felt it...? Did you?]  
  
{Hai...}  
  
[Well then? What is it?!]  
  
{Anguish... and sadness... you miss someone...}  
  
[That is true... So, is it anguish, then? I... never felt this way... it's awful... Memories... flooded back to me...... I c-couldn't stop th-them... could-dn't stop what I f-felt... ]  
  
'Memories?' More tears streamed down his face as he lifted his head to look at me. I saw the pain reflected clearly in his eyes. Something needed to be done to help him. He couldn't go on like this, suffering and drowning in tears alone, and not allow any help.  
  
"Come here, yami." I said. Hesitantly, yami leaned forward. I pulled his arm gently and he fell forward completely, his body collapsing into my lap. I suppose his body completely revolted against being in such a helpless position, and therefore, he tried to move away from me. But I held him firmly, my hands grasping his shirt tightly. Yami froze, didn't move a muscle.  
  
[What... are you doing? Let. Go. Of. Me.]  
  
{No. You need to stop shutting everyone out, including me. You called for me, and I am here to help you. I understand you don't want to talk to the others, but you can't ignore me. I am going to help you.}  
  
[Iie.]  
  
{Do you want to feel better?}  
  
[Hai... b- but-]  
  
{Then quit objecting. Here, put your head on my shoulder.}  
  
[Why should I...?]  
  
{Just... do it.}  
  
Yami knew he was in no position to argue, so, feeling a bit awkward, he rested his head on my shoulder, closed his eyes, and leaned against me. I felt his muscles relax beneath my hand. A sigh of contentment escaped him. I wished I knew what was wrong... what caused him to feel this way... Ah, that was it! 'The millennium ring!' I could use it to see his memories.  
  
"Yami..." I said. He made no response. His breathing had softened and was going at a slow rhythm; he was sleeping. I shouldn't wake him... But I didn't want to get a nasty shock when he got angry at me for going through his memories. Then again... I could probably find what the dream earlier was about... and he had said before that 'when the victim is unconscious or asleep it is easier to search their mind.' And so I tried again with the millennium ring. 'Ring... show me the memories of mou hitori boku... onegai... I want to know what is wrong with him... show me what is bothering him so... why he feels such anguish...show me, ring...'  
  
It was useless. 'Come on... work... you work for my darker half... it's about time you work for me...' Maybe I should try a more commanding voice... 'Ring! Show me yami's memories. What causes his anguish. Show me!' Finally I felt the warm glow on my chest.  
  
They came to me with such vividness and intensity it was like watching a movie! Like I was actually there, in the memory.  
  
Eerie, dark shadows danced about me. I walked forward into the darkness. A chill went down my spine. The darkness was so pitch black and dark... it was unreal. How could I be here... ? In the shadow realm... ? No... I didn't want to be here. I hate the shadow realm... I heard a cry of pain and instinct compelled me to run away from the source of the shout. Well, my sense of direction wasn't... very great... I ran almost right into a shadow duel. I stopped abruptly, almost falling forward. I regained my balance and steadied myself. I looked up into the angry face of... Malik.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Silver Wolf: Oh, another cliffie. Oops. *laughs evilly* This is a... very... long... chapter... Heh. Originally, it was combined with chapter 4, but that would just be waaaaayyyyy too long. It's already good enough. So, I leave you to suffer a cliffie. *smirk* For anyone who's reading this, anyway... *cough* REVIEW DAMNIT *cough* Ra, I sound almost as evil as Akei. -_- It's like she has a yami... *shivers* SO ANYWAY...  
  
Had to cut it short. Sorry. I guess I better tell ya now that chapter 4 will be shorter. ^^; Just don't come after me with a chainsaw for saying that; chapter 5 will be longer...with lots of suspense. I'll say no more.  
  
Thanks again Akei, for your help! ^^  
  
I appreciate those who reviewed the last chapters. ^^ A lot, really. I welcome any suggestions and tell me where I can improve!  
  
Remember, check out my artwork at   
  
Go check out Akei's too *cough* update *cough* wink ;)  
  
Review and you get... a cookie! ^^  
  
Malik: A cookie...? Sure, that'll get reviews. -_-  
  
Silver Wolf: Made by our volunteer, Malik! *smirks* Go bake the cookies, Malik.  
  
Malik: WHAT?! O_O  
  
Silver Wolf: You heard me. Go! Take Yami Bakura with you. He's trying to set the neighbor's cat on fire.  
  
Malik: Cool, maybe we can burn the kitchen down. ^^  
  
Next chapter: Ryou has plunged into the large pool of Yami Bakura's realistic memories. He realizes how much a friend Malik was to Yami Bakura and himself. Until he sees something else... the dream Yami Bakura had awoken, shaken and almost terrified, earlier in the day.  
  
Furious Ryou had raided his soul room and looked at his memories and the dream, the tomb robber yanks Ryou back to the present and threatens the hikari. Ryou finds his yami's threats should be taken more seriously...  
  
Stay tuned for Chapter 4: You Can Never Trust a Tomb Robber ^^ Alright, I'll shut up now. 


	5. 4 You Can Never Trust A Tombrobber

This Is Beginning To Look Like Malik All Over Again...  
  
How could I be here... ? In the shadow realm... ? No... I didn't want to be here. I hate the shadow realm... I heard a cry of pain and instinct compelled me to run away from the source of the shout. Well, my sense of direction wasn't... very great... I ran almost right into a shadow duel. I stopped abruptly, almost falling forward. I regained my balance and steadied myself. I looked up into the angry face of... Malik.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 4: You Can Never Trust A Tomb Robber  
  
Disclaimer: Oh, come on, I don't need to go over this again, do I? *sigh* Now, really.  
  
Malik: You better just go and do it. People have their flame throwers ready.  
  
Silver: Fine. *writes on blackboard that appears out of thin air* I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
There. =P  
  
Malik: Oooh. Lemme see that chalk... *starts doodling on chalkboard*  
  
Silver: Okay..... this should be interesting...  
  
*~*~* millennium ankh- millennium key  
  
millennium tauk- millennium necklace  
  
onegai- please  
  
gomen- sorry  
  
*Translations by Akei*  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ryou Bakura  
  
Malik? What... Where did he come from... ?  
  
"M-Malik...?" I stammered. He didn't answer me, but instead seemed to stare straight through me at something else... He was different too... he looked.. younger... and the millennium ankh hung from a rope around his neck. He was wearing clothes from Egypt too... his eyes burned with fiery rage as he raised his arm and pointed the millennium rod directly at my heart. Terror seized my body and I could not move. "So you were a tomb robber in your past life... this means nothing to me... Now get out. I don't want to kill you, or Bakura... as it's his body..." Here, he paused to smirk, "I know you are possessing him through the millennium ring... Perhaps Ryou would be happy if I removed the curse of a millennium item from him... to have you gone forever..." Malik smiled a wicked grin as a beam of purple light shot from the glowing rod. My eyes widened as I braced myself...  
  
The beam of energy traveled straight through my body.  
  
I felt... nothing. I was... okay...? Then...  
  
A chill zipped down my spine as realization hit me. I whirled around to see my yami barely escape the blast. He held his shoulder suddenly, wincing. The beam of light must have grazed his shoulder.  
  
So it was a battle of millennium items, full out power...  
  
He was wearing clothes similar to Malik's... ah! I remember... my yami had forced me to go to Egypt and once we got there, I didn't have control of my body for more than three hours, he was so excited. I wonder if he really did try to rob a tomb... I wouldn't be surprised to find out he had.  
  
"Happy to have me gone...?" my yami said. "He would be very relieved. Gomen... I need him to survive." He said, clenching his teeth. "What happened to all the fun we had in Domino? You made a pact with me, after all..." Malik's eyes flickered.  
  
"Hear this, dark spirit! You will never get the millennium ankh on my guard! You will not get past me!"  
  
"Well then, I'd better wait until your shift is over."  
  
"I suggest you leave before I blast you to smithereens and your host's body is destroyed completely!"  
  
"I doubt that will happen. The ankh will be mine...and your useless mind will be wandering the shadow realm forever. As a prize, I think I will claim the rod as well. The other items will be simple thereafter. Ah, especially Isis's tauk." My yami laughed harshly.  
  
Suddenly his brown eyes widened. It happened as if in slow motion.  
  
"Yaaaaaammiii!" I cried. The beam of energy burst from Malik's millennium rod and hit yami directly in the chest. He was thrown several feet backwards. I ran toward him, not knowing why, and watched his back hit the floor of the shadow realm. He lay still in shock. "Look out!" I yelled, though I knew he couldn't hear me, and it had already happened. Malik had aimed his millennium rod in the same place, at my yami's heart. He walked closer, narrowing his eyes, and never moving his rod away. Yami stood up, slowly and painfully. Blood dripped from the severe wound on his chest, never stopping to hit the floor. Malik's rod followed his every movement.  
  
In their eyes flamed dark rage. This battle was to the death...  
  
'I don't want to know what happens...I don't want to find out, take me somewhere else...' I pleaded the ring. With a flash, my dark surroundings faded and I found myself in the next memory.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yami Bakura  
  
I fell to a dreamless sleep in my hikari's lap. Ra, what a pathetic mess I looked. Completely defenseless position... crying... everyone could see this... this... cursed weakness...of mine... damn it all...  
  
Why did he care? I'm so cruel to him... I've mistreated and even abused him over the years... so why in Ra's name did he still help me? Damn his weak soul...  
  
Malik...  
  
Why did you leave me? I never truly meant any harm...  
  
'But I did...'  
  
'I tried to kill him to get the millennium ankh... and I failed too, I might add...  
  
'And he tried to kill me. He hated me.'  
  
'...But... he hated me in a respectful way...'  
  
My dream. 'Oh Malik, what did you do to Yugi...?'  
  
'Why do I care? ...I don't want to think of him as a killer and betrayer, like me.'  
  
Oh, that's right. Yugi. I had forgotten why I had walked in this small game store in the first place. My main reason for changing my mind to come here. I had some questions to ask him. I had to know...I had to...  
  
'Hm?'  
  
What's this? Ryou... in my soul room?! How...? Why...? I hadn't time to ponder over why and how he did it, just that he even dared... the bastard! I'll kill him for this... How ignorant of me! If I hadn't been worrying so much... he... he... he put me to sleep so it would be easier to enter my soul room! I... gods, what a smart hikari... He... in general, he manipulated me...! He... really did...!  
  
But what good was it going to do him, looking through my mind...? Whatever, I should have noticed him earlier... Damnit! I'll beat the living hell out you, Ryou. Clever as you are, impressing me won't save you...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ryou Bakura  
  
Various scenes flashed before my eyes, but none very important. Just Malik... suffering and in pain in some images, or happy, and bringing back more memories, and I could clearly see why yami missed him. Good God... that's like a scene from a horror movie... poor Malik... But these weren't helpful.  
  
'These aren't helping...what's important here...?'  
  
Then I caught a glimpse of something.  
  
A pair of cold crimson eyes...red as the color of blood...They flashed up, almost glowing in the darkness.  
  
What the hell...?  
  
That was it. That was the thing I needed to see. I felt the warm glow of the ring beneath my fingers. The next moment I was inside the dream yami had had earlier.  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
I was still shaking after seeing Malik take the puzzle from Yugi's neck, but what happened after, I didn't know. For my head snapped backward painfully. In terror, I looked up into the face of my yami. "Hello..." he said in a dangerously low voice. I struggled in vain to free my hair from his grip. A bright flash...then I saw nothing but pitch blackness...  
  
I opened my eyes in the real world, staring fearfully at yami. The next instant I felt cold metal plunge into my arm. I cried out in pain. "I warned you countless times in the past, hikari." he said coldly. "And now you use the power of the millennium ring against me...? How foolish. You have to be reminded what happens when you anger me..."  
  
Tears sprang to my eyes. "Take it out, p-please..." He only sneered menacingly at me. "Why did you...?" he demanded. "F-For your own good... I want-ted to know... you wouldn't tell me exactly..." "So you raided my soulroom. You are clever. Putting me to sleep...knowing it is easier to enter one's soul when they are asleep or unconscious... very cunning. Why, it's exactly the manipulating kind of trick I'd use." With that, he pulled the knife out of my arm. I cried a second time. Why doesn't he ever understand? But that...was true...  
  
I should have used that time to escape. Yami brought his knee hard up into my stomach. My breath knocked out of me, I fell face forward to the ground. Yami was immediately on top of me and twisted my already wounded arm behind my back painfully. "BUT NEVER DO IT AGAIN!"  
  
Clonk. Yami collapsed on top of me. I raised my head slightly to see Jounouchi swimming in and out of my vision. I rested my head back on the carpet. Everything was blurred and spinning... I heard Jounouchi's voice as though from a distance.  
  
"Go back inside the millennium ring! That's enough!"  
  
"Urk...!"  
  
"Go back, or I hit ya harder next time."  
  
The weight of my yami's body was gone suddenly. But that was all I heard before I blacked out.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yeah, I know, it was short and cheap. ^^; Gomen, I'm working on chaptah 5. Sick of the memories and flashbacks? 'Cause even I'm beginning to get tired of stopping the story in the middle of something good and repeating something that already happened. Should I do that less?  
  
And I hope I didn't make Yami Bakura look too bad in the last chapter... first attempt at fluff, with Akei's help... so, yeah...  
  
Gimme a break, it's 12:08 a.m.!  
  
Anyway, please welcome Akei, who will be working with me on this fic from now on. ^^  
  
Akei: *waves*  
  
Silver Wolf: Okay, what's Malik doing?  
  
Akei: Uh...Drawing on a random chalkboard.  
  
Malik: ^_________^  
  
Silver: Drawing... what exactly...?  
  
Akei: A town burning up in flames. I think it's in Egypt.  
  
Silver: The destruction of a village...?  
  
Akei: Yeah, and for some reason CG is there, as well as Kaiba and Bakura.  
  
Silver: Um... what's destroying the town?  
  
Akei: Bakura's giant killer bunny rabbit.  
  
Silver: ....... ^^; *cough cough* ... *dashes away* DAMMIT MALIK!!!  
  
Akei: Okaaaay...  
  
Read and review plz!  
  
Also...  
  
Come check out to see Malik when he's older!  
  
And   
  
That being said...  
  
Next Chapter:  
  
All the millennium item holders sense a great evil arise in the town of Domino... a familiar feeling, though. It is making Yugi extremely anxious waiting for the enemy to reveal himself and make his move...  
  
Meanwhile Kaiba is in a bit of a chaotic mess himself.  
  
Ryou having been unconscious for an hour, Yami Bakura impatiently takes control... But a terrible tragedy on the news takes his attention completely away...  
  
Chapter 5: Run Away 


	6. 5 Run Away

This Is Beginning To Look Like Malik All Over Again  
  
Chapter 5: Run Away  
  
{Life sucks.} hikari to yami  
  
[I'm bored. I think I'll go kill people and let my hikari take the blame. Mua ha ha ha!] yami to hikari  
  
'I hope my yami doesn't go off killing people...' Thinking  
  
Yami Bakura  
  
I pinned Ryou to the floor and held his arm behind his back painfully. He was about to faint, I could sense it. With a smirk, I pulled harder. The weak hikari cried out. That would teach him not to-  
  
Clonk. Something hard hit the back of my head, causing me to fall forward on top of my other.  
  
"Yami Bakura! Go back inside the millennium ring! That's enough!"  
  
Jonouchi stood behind me, his hand clenched into a fist. The wind was knocked out of me, I couldn't say a word.  
  
"Go back, or I hit ya harder next time!" he threatened. I saw Mai, Yugi, and Anzu coming toward us from the corner of my eye. Reluctantly, I retreated into the soulroom of the ring. I was tired, anyway.  
  
But I knew Ryou had fainted already.  
  
Mokuba Kaiba  
  
I snuck quietly into Seto's office, shutting the door very quietly behind me. The Kaiba Corp building was nearly empty this time of day. Seto was bent over his work, writing quickly. He looked tired. I watched him a few minutes. Then he threw down his pen with a sigh. "Done... What a day..." He yawned before turning his chair around slowly.  
  
"Hi, big brother!" I said rather loudy at the right time. Seto nearly jumped right out of his seat. I laughed.  
  
"Mokuba?"  
  
"Surprise!"  
  
"It's great to see you!" This time he did jump up out of his chair to hug me. "How have you been?" he smiled a smile that was reserved only for me. "Great! What's been going around in Domino?"  
  
The smile on Seto's face instantly faded. That wasn't a smart idea. Something terrible must have happened. He motioned me to sit down and he flopped back into his comfortable chair. "A-A lot happened... everything's okay now... the main thing is that Malik Ishtal is dead." I saw for some reason, this was a painful subject for him. 'Why? He never liked Malik...'  
  
"Mokuba, I should tell you this before you hear a jumbled version from someone else... Malik was murdered. It wasn't pretty. And no one knew who did it. No clues, nothing..." This part was blunt. But then his expression changed and he continued. Was his voice...shaking with emotion...? "Jonouchi and I were there after the killer was gone, as Malik was dying. Th-the last thing I said to him... well, I'd gone over there to kick his ass for cheating on a bet we made, I lost over $500... and I walked into the house, surrounded by news reporters... and..."  
  
He really couldn't bring himself to say this. Even tears started to gather at the corners of his eyes.  
  
"I understand, you don't have to say it." I said. He seemed to be very relieved.  
  
"How...could I..." he murmured.  
  
"Well, are the rest of the Ishtals okay?"  
  
"Fine. Mika lives with Isis now..." Was it just me, or was a blush creeping into Seto's cheeks?  
  
"Seto, why are you blushing?"  
  
"What? Hunh, why would I be blushing? Y-Your eyes must be playing tricks on you, or something. Hey, what's that look? I'm not blushing, you- Stop with that look! Mokuba-"  
  
"You're going out with Isis, aren't you?"  
  
"What- no! Why would you think that?! It's kinda hot in here, that's what it is! Ha, you think I like Isis! I wouldn't know why in the world I'd- quit laughing! I don't-"  
  
"There's a STORM out there! How can you be hot?! HA HA HA HA HA! Seto, you have to see how red your face is! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!" I nearly fell out of my chair laughing so hard.  
  
"Shut up! I don't know why you think I'M IN LOVE WITH ISIS!"  
  
"AH HA HA HA AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"  
  
"MOKUBA! I- I... SHUT UP!"  
  
"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"  
  
He was on his feet now in front of me, his face bright red. I was bent over with laughter in my chair. "So how long have you been dating her?" He exploded again, denying anything was going on between the two of them, while I laughed all the more harder. But he finally admitted it.  
  
"...I started dating her a month ago. She's really broken up about her brother... you know, she told me he had grown closer to her after Battle City. So now she takes care of Mika."  
  
"And how is Mika dealing with this?"  
  
"Isis said she was... ah... traumatized, I think. She tries to get on with her life, but considering it was only a little over three weeks ago, that's pretty har..."  
  
"THREE WEEKS AGO?!"  
  
"Yeah... did I fail to mention that?"  
  
"Yeah! Seto..."  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's something I think you should see." Another voice said behind me. I looked up to see a man standing nervously in the doorway.  
  
"I'm a bit busy at the moment. Later."  
  
"But sir, it's... you must come with me..."  
  
"...Can't this wait? I've had a long day, I'm tired."  
  
"Mr. Kaiba..."  
  
"Alright!"  
  
Seto swiftly got up from his seat and walked to the door. "Coming, Mokuba?" he paused and turned to me. I jumped up. "Grab my trench coat off the chair, onegai." he said before he walked away in quick, businesslike strides. I snatched the blueish green trench coat and followed after my brother quickly.  
  
Yugi Motou  
  
We had laid Bakura down on the couch and Shizuka held an ice pack to his forehead. "Poor Bakura..." she whispered. Jonouchi had bandaged Bakura's arm, yet the cut was so deep it continued to bleed and soaked through the bandages. Yami and Jou were furious over the incident. Yami stormed, complaining that no one could ever trust a tombrobber like Yami Bakura, he never changed. I heard him in the other room with Jou, yelling something like, "The Radamned bastard, leave it to him to do something like this, and abuse Bakura again. Damn him!" Every once in a while Jou would add something in. "Somethin's gotta be done! He keeps goin' on like this, it neva stops! What's gonna happen next? We can't be on our toes all da time. I think he should be banished to the shadow realm for good!"  
  
"I would, except the bastard keeps escaping every time!"  
  
"Well, you're more powerful now, he's weak, you said, so pow! Lock him there an' he won't come back! He can't!"  
  
Shizuka stood up suddenly and went over to the room, leaving Anzu to hold the ice pack on the still unconscious Bakura.  
  
"Maybe Yami Bakura needs a second chance!" I heard her yell.  
  
"Shizuka, we've given him enough chances! He never did us any good!" Yami's harsh voice cut in.  
  
"Really?! If we just-"  
  
"Shizuka, stay outta this!"  
  
"No, Jonouchi! You can't banish him to the shadow realm! He doesn't deserve that! No one does!"  
  
"He's a danger to us all, Shizuka! It would do us good if he was out of our lives! And think of Bakura! He's hurt him in every way! His yami's physically wounded his body and broken his spirit countless times! It can't go on like this!"  
  
They continued quarreling for sometime. I looked to the others. I caught Mai's eye. She shook her head. Even she couldn't calm Jonouchi down now. Honda sat on the floor with his back to the wall, all the chairs and couches taken. He stared into space, apparently deep in thought. Then, suddenly, I felt like a bucket of ice had been dumped down my back.  
  
My body jerked upright and I gasped. There was no ice, though. Just the feeling something wasn't right. The puzzle glowed slightly. Uncomfortable, I stood and walked to the kitchen again. Anzu followed shortly after. Jou, Yami, and Shizuka left such a disturbing atmosphere that Honda and Mai came in as well. Their yells were dimmed a bit in the kitchen. I sighed.  
  
"What do you think, Yugi?" Anzu asked me.  
  
"Wait, not now."  
  
The cold, disturbing feeling had grown stronger. How could Yami not notice it?  
  
'It's the disturbance I sensed earlier... that Yami Bakura sensed too... the awakening of evil... Has he made his first move yet?'  
  
"I'm sick of him hurting Bakura- and all of us! Sick of him coming back every time, it's better I do it now, while I have the chance, and banish him for good!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Shizuka, if ANYONE deserves the shadow realm, it's Bakura's yami! NOW BACK OFF!"  
  
"You can't! I mean, he probably has feelings too...This isn't necessary..."  
  
"You are not helping things at all..."  
  
"Will you calm down, Yami, onegai..."  
  
"YOU CALM DOWN! I'm going out there now..."  
  
"Yami, don't!"  
  
"...And I'm going to talk to the bastard and hear what he thinks..."  
  
"Yamette!"  
  
"...and Bakura, I guess, as well deserves a say in this, as he IS part of him..."  
  
"Yami..."  
  
"...and DO NOT INTERFERE WITH ME!"  
  
We heard Shizuka's sobs as she tried to hold back Yami. I stepped out into the living room to see yami walking toward Bakura's still body on the couch, Shizuka behind him, still protesting. Jonouchi quickly followed, trying to convince Shizuka to stop and get a hold of herself. She ignored him and shunted him off, and in result he gradually became more harsh. I stood before Yami.  
  
[Will you take care of her?! It is hard to do this with her hassling me. I don't want her to see this, anyway...]  
  
{Yami... are you sure it's-}  
  
[Just take her in the kitchen... I need Jonouchi, though.]  
  
I tried to calm Shizuka down. Mai came out and talked some sense into her. Shizuka finally allowed herself to be led to the kitchen. Then Yami and Jou turned back to Bakura.  
  
"Bakura...?"  
  
"Hey, man, you awright?"  
  
At the touch of Jonouchi's hand, Ryou stirred slightly. He slowly came into consciousness. He blinked and looked up into Jounouchi's face.  
  
"Wha..."  
  
"You 'kay?"  
  
"Hai..."  
  
Bakura moved slightly and winced. He looked at his bandaged arm. His brain kicked into full gear and he suddenly remembered everything that happened.  
  
"Yami-he..."  
  
"He did this to you." Yami said bluntly. "Again."  
  
"Oh, hello Yami."  
  
I could have laughed out loud at the look on Yami's face when Bakura said this.  
  
"Look, we should just make this sweet an' simple, so, how would you like to have your yami gone an' outta your life forever?"  
  
"...Are you joking?"  
  
"No, we are serious."  
  
"Yami... I... I don't know..."  
  
"Think about it. But hurry."  
  
"... it would be nice to have him gone... but... forever...? ..."  
  
"I don' mean ta pressure you, 'Kura, but think abou' all he's done to you... and he'll neva change..."  
  
"I thought he could... at one point..."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Look, do ya hate 'im, or not?"  
  
"..."  
  
Jonouchi wouldn't let Bakura think 'no' for a second. He was so determined, he yanked off Bakura's shirt and pointed to all the scars on his abused body. Bakura frowned.  
  
"An' where do all these come from, eh?!"  
  
"..."  
  
"Well, there's no use for him in this world! Lookit wha' he's done to you! All these years! Gimme one reason we should let 'im slide, again, as tons of times before! An' let's watch him do it again, and again...! Gimme ONE reason!"  
  
"......I can't..."  
  
"SEE?! Now tell me... tell me why we shouldn' do it! Really, Bakura, do ya really want him around?"  
  
"...............No." he finally answered. "No, I don't."  
  
"Great, now let's get 'im out here an' talk to him!"  
  
Bakura called his yami out and the tombrobber appeared in between Jonouchi and Bakura. He then rounded on his hikari.  
  
"What is this, Ryou?!"  
  
"Yami Bakura..."  
  
He turned sharply to face Jou. His eyes flashed dangerously. "Yes?" he said in a low voice. Jou didn't really know how to handle this. Yami spoke up.  
  
"We all agreed that I banish you to the shadow realm, never to return."  
  
"All? All of you, huh...?" He then turned to Bakura again, that smirk on his face. "What about little Ryou here? Certainly he..."  
  
"Sayonara, yami." Ryou said in a surprisingly bitter voice.  
  
His dark half simply stood there, dumbfounded.  
  
"Then it's decided!" Yami cried. "We are ALL tired of you continually hurting others! And you had several chances to change... yet each time you turned around and did it again! Hurting poor Bakura..."  
  
"DAMN YOU RYOU!!!"  
  
Yami Bakura at last moved and made to choke the life out of his light half. Jonouchi leaped on him, allowing Bakura to scramble out of the way. Jonouchi hit the back of dark Bakura's head. The yami fell forward again. Jonouchi moved quickly away and shouted to Yami.  
  
"NOW YAMI!"  
  
Yami built up power, closing his eyes in concentration. Jou grabbed the light Bakura and pulled him away. His other half was on his hands and knees. His head was down, thick white hair falling in his face. And he looked up, his gaze unfocused, at Yami. He would have been gone... but-  
  
".....WAIT!" he screamed. Yami opened his eyes.  
  
"Before you do it... I need to know something..."  
  
"Hardly the time, tombrobber...but what is it?"  
  
"We go away from the others."  
  
"Why in Ra's name...?"  
  
"This is something I must know, and only I can hear."  
  
"Fine. But your light comes-for safety."  
  
"He stays."  
  
"No..."  
  
"He stays."  
  
Yami narrowed his eyes and motioned Jonouchi to take Bakura back to the couch. Yami looked about, and decided to go up the stairs. Yami Bakura stood uneasily to his feet. He stepped forward, nearly toppled over, steadied himself, and walked in an uneven path to the staircase. He slammed into the wall half way up. He paused and looked back at me. "Come here, Yugi!" he said, irritated. I rushed up the stairs after him.  
  
We locked ourselves in a room. Yami smirked down at Yami Bakura, who had slid exhausted to the floor. "Feel weak?" he said in a malicious tone. Yami Bakura proved he still had enough strength to make a rude hand gesture towards Yami. Yami's puzzle flashed and the white haired tombrobber was thrown against the wall. Yami Bakura winced as he fell to the floor.  
  
"Yami!" I cried. {Do you need to act so harsh?} I said silently through the mental link.  
  
[I have no sympathy for that cold hearted-]  
  
{Look, why is he so weak?}  
  
[I don't know...]  
  
"I'M TALKING HERE!" Yami Bakura's voice interrupted.  
  
"Gomen." I apologized.  
  
"I said, why did you befriend Yami Malik?"  
  
Yami and I froze.  
  
"W-what?" Yami stuttered.  
  
"You heard me. Why did you befriend Yami Malik?"  
  
"Ah-ha! That's your question? That's what you wanted to know?"  
  
"Just answer the damn question." "You tell me something first. Why are you so weak? I can hardly sense any power from your millennium ring."  
  
"I'm out of touch, I guess. I don't know if emotions have anything to do with it..."  
  
"Well, Yugi thought..." Yami started to answer Yami Bakura's question.  
  
"I thought he meant it... I thought he really wanted to be friends." I finished.  
  
"So, you thought he was trying to call a truce?" the tombrobber said.  
  
"Yes." I answered.  
  
"Then tell me, did you lose his trust when he called you out that one night?"  
  
"...!"  
  
{Yami, how does he know about that?}  
  
Yami never answered.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes." Yami Bakura grinned evilly. "And tell me, what did you think when you saw Malik instead?" I didn't answer. Yami stood motionless. "What happened when he attempted to take your millennium puzzle? Did you see him pull out the dagger in the dark? Or did you not? Did you call out to Yami?"  
  
"That's enough, Yami Bakura."  
  
"No. Answer me this, Yami, did you ever stop once to take a good look at Malik? Ever think he wasn't in control of himself? For Ra's sake, did you not see his eyes flash red?!"  
  
"..."  
  
"Tell me, is it worth it to destroy me when stronger evil lurks about, murdering and causing pain to anyone in his path? I could help you, for once. Spare me, and we can defeat the enemy together! What do you say...?"  
  
"No."  
  
"......Go ahead...and do it, then..." His eyes darted up to meet Yami's. "Do to me what you did to Malik!"  
  
"SHUT UP!"  
  
"You did it! It's your fault, you know it!"  
  
"HE DESERVED IT AS YOU DESERVE TO BE BANISHED TO THE SHADOW REALM!"  
  
"Of course... murderer." Yami flinched.  
  
"It's no worse than what you've done to all of us these years! BEGONE!  
  
Yami summoned the shadow realm to devour yami Bakura's soul. Yami Bakura laughed maniacally as he yelled "BURN IN HELL, YAMI! I'LL BE THERE TO WATCH YOU! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"  
  
Though his body faded away, soul shredded; his maniacal laughter still echoed in my head.  
  
Seconds later Yami and I heard a scream from downstairs.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
I dashed downstairs and Yami returned to his soul room in a fury.  
  
Ryou  
  
I felt as if my soul had been torn in half. I fell to the floor-again. [A/N Akei- how many times has he done that already?!] I placed a hand to my heart. This was worse than anything I've ever felt.  
  
[It was Yami no Yugi in the dream...he's the murderer...]  
  
My yami's voice faded away. Those were his last words. That was it. He was...gone. Forever...  
  
Yugi came tearing around the corner. But the pain had faded, along with my yami.  
  
"Bakura, are you okay?! I heard you scream, what happened?"  
  
"He really...was my other half..."  
  
"What...?"  
  
"Did you really...destroy him?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
My reactions were of the following:  
  
'He did it. He really did... I can't believe it... he's gone. He's gone. Gone.'  
  
'I don't have to worry about him anymore.'  
  
'I'm safe. No more cuts... no more worries. I can go on with my life.'  
  
'What a terrible way to die...to have your soul completely torn from your body and shredded in the shadow realm with no one to remember you at all...'  
  
'Glad it wasn't me.'  
  
Seto Kaiba  
  
Kano, my messenger, ran ahead, urging me to follow him. I didn't understand his urgency, but I ran after him anyway. Mokuba's footsteps sounded behind me as they pounded on the hard pavement. "This way, Kano!" someone called out. "Over here! Quickly!" A man stood standing at a corner of the building.  
  
We ran up to him. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he gave a gasp, as if he couldn't breathe. Strange sounds came from his throat, was he unable to breathe at all, out of breath? Then a sharp metal pole came out of his stomach. Blood spilled in a gush from the hole through his body. His eyes rolled back before he fell forward. I backed away to avoid his body, and he hit the cement with a thud. I took my eyes away from him and looked up in front of me. An instant chill zipped down my spine.  
  
The attacker smiled into my face.  
  
"Shit!" I cried as I dodged a gleaming gold dagger, dripping with blood. I looked into his crimson red eyes... and knew. I knew who he was. Oh hell.  
  
"MOKUBA, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! RUN!!!"  
  
Ordering my brother away, I grabbed the pole from the dead man in front of me and pulled it out with a sharp yank. I swung my 'weapon' at the bastard, only to have it hit the ground and vibrate through my arms. I glared at those red eyes. Eyes of the devil, that's what they were. So merciless, cold as eternal darkness and as red as the blood of all those he murdered.  
  
He wore a cloak black as night with a hood that cast his face in complete shadow. I didn't need to see his features to identify him.  
  
I swung my pole at him. He didn't flinch. Something was wrong, something told me I should stop. Too late. Just before I could strike him, the pole in my hands went up in flames, the metal scorching hot. I threw it to the side. My hands suffered a second degree burn.  
  
"YOU FING ASSHOLE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" I yelled. "HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?!?!"  
  
"Not that you need to know...the millennium rod was passed on to someone else. They cannot get rid of me that easily." he laughed harshly. "Just having a little fun, Kaiba."  
  
"Don't you touch my brother, you bastard."  
  
"Always sticking up for your brother..." he paused to laugh again, making goose bumps rise on my skin. "He loves you dearly and does look up to you. I wonder... what would he do if you were gone? Would his body go stone cold at the sight of your dead figure laying motionless on the floor..."  
  
He stepped forward. I raised a fist, my only defense. Useless, I knew, against an immortal spirit. I bared my teeth and stepped backward until my shoulder hit the wall of Kaiba Corp.  
  
"...And would tears fall from his eyes at all the pools of blood on the ground..."  
  
He grabbed my arm in a death grip and raised the dagger in his hand. I saw a flash of a twisted sneer on his face. Fear rose in me, spreading through my whole body, and gripped it so I was unable to move.  
  
"Would your brother fall to his knees in emotion...and cry his heart out...? Would he think of you as a coward, watching me about to strike you as you can't do anything...?" He glanced over his shoulder. My eyes followed his gaze to see with a wave of dread, Mokuba standing a short distance away with Kano. My heart pounded wildly. "Let's find out." he whispered.  
  
I caught his arm as he thrust it at me, the point of the golden dagger stopping just an inch from my throat. I twisted his arm and wriggled out of his grasp. I stumbled away. I felt around in the pockets of my trench coat, but all I could find were a few cards. I pulled one out, and with perfect aim, threw it at the spirit like a frisbee. It slit his cheek and left a long red line on the tan skin.  
  
My body froze. Behind him lie several dead bodies. The ground was so covered in blood... they were just innocent bystanders, though... no one I knew. But the sight was terrifying. And how many...? Close to twenty...? Dear God.  
  
"They didn't mean anything to you, did they?" he laughed. "I was merely bored."  
  
"You fing bastard." I growled. He gave me another insane smile.  
  
"Just deliver a message for me."  
  
"Wha-at?!"  
  
"Tell Bakura I'm coming for him. He can run all he wants... but he's mine. Tell him that."  
  
With one last freaky smirk, he walked away.  
  
Ryou  
  
"Yami! Do you sense that?!" Yugi said. "I felt it since you were talking to Shizuka and Jonouchi. Didn't you feel that? I think it's coming from the puzzle."  
  
"I didn't notice before...but it's grown too strong now to ignore." Yami replied.  
  
"Do you think...it's him, isn't it?! He's made his first move, I'm sure of it!"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Well, should we do something?"  
  
"I told you, aibou, there is nothing I want you to do but wait."  
  
"But, couldn't we warn the others or something?"  
  
"Yugi, I told you..."  
  
"I mean, like Kaiba, or Otogi, Isis and Mika..."  
  
"Hai. Tell them. But what is there to tell? What will you say to them?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Exactly. You see?"  
  
"Yeah, but...I could tell them to be prepared..."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"...I don't know..." "Something like this is hard to explain to others. Hard to put into words. Just...wait. We'll stop him when any REAL damage is done. We don't even know who 'he' is!"  
  
"I may have an idea who..."  
  
I lie on the couch and listened to Yugi and Yami's conversation quietly. Their voices drifted through the open door of the room. They were oblivious to the fact I was pretending to be asleep and technically eavesdropping on them. I pressed my cheek against the couch, lying facing the couch and my back to their room. I had a blanket pulled over my head as I listened intently. My breath came silent, so I could hear every whisper, every word they said.  
  
Then, gradually, I began to have this strange feeling. A cold, chilling feeling. It grew stronger with every minute until I couldn't concentrate on what Yami was saying. I shifted uncomfortably. My whole body was stiff with fear.  
  
By now waves of terror were passing through my body. I saw no reason to be so scared that I felt sick with fear...  
  
'Run. Run away.'  
  
Why in heaven's name would I want to run away? Nonsense. I'm safe here with Yami, out of the storm. Why would my mind think such a thing?  
  
'Run as far as you can from here. Run away quickly.'  
  
The strange impulse was so strong, I sprang quickly from the couch. Why do I feel this way? What would compel me to run away from the safety of the game store?  
  
I allowed the blankets to slip from my shoulders and fall to the floor. The feeling grew stronger with each passing second. With a cold shiver, I took a step toward the door.  
  
"Bakura? What's wrong?" Jonouchi's voice called out softly to me. I broke into a run across the living room and bounded out the door.  
  
"Bakura-W-where are-"  
  
I had no time to answer. I was already running out into the rain. I didn't even bother to shut the door behind me.  
  
I felt the cold air as soon as I stepped out of the doorway. Rain poured down like buckets of water being repeatedly dumped on my head and splashed at my body. Lightning flashed against the pitch dark sky, illuminating it for a split second with a bright flash, and thunder rolled like giant drums played in the heavens.  
  
Where was I running? How would I get there in this dangerous storm? I couldn't even see anything in the dark. Lightning flashed in the sky, and I saw a liquor store. I went there, seeking the shelter of the roof that hung out in front of the store. I huddled close to the wall, the driest spot I could find. I shivered again, not of cold...but of...something else.  
  
It sent thorough chills down my spine, and I shivered more. I held my arms over my chest, my heart was pounding. I closed my eyes as an intense wave of fear and dread passed through me.  
  
I heard a sound in the dark near me. It sounded like the rustling of clothes rubbing together, like a person shifting their weight...or stepping forward. Then I heard the sound of metal lightly scraping against metal.  
  
I started running swiftly again. All I heard was the sound of rain pouring down hard, and my feet splashing through the water on the street. And it was making me extremely nervous, this quietness.  
  
I ran quite some way from the liquor store. After about fifteen minutes, I was prepared to think I was merely hearing things. My mind was playing tricks on me, I thought. Then I heard footsteps. They were coming from behind me. The faint splash of each step taken toward me, covered by the loud rain and thunder...  
  
I picked up my pace quickly. I had to get away...  
  
I turned corners, back tracked and circled around, took a different street, ran through unknown alleyways... anything I could think of to lose him.  
  
I was sure I had lost him. I stopped and leaned against a wall, panting, sweating. Cold, wet...and scared half to death. I was shaking all over. Who was he? The suspense was eating me inside out. I tried to calm myself down and sort out all the thoughts whirling in my head. I was beginning to miss my yami now. Though he dealed with his enemies harshly, he provided some defense, and right now, I would be happy to see him tear this guy limb from limb.  
  
I was surprised to hear myself think this. My yami. A tear slid down my wet face. 'What?' I... I couldn't believe it...but-I missed him.  
  
I thought I would have no regrets when Yami destroyed him...  
  
And I don't. He wouldn't have protected me, anyway. He wouldn't have comforted me as I did him...  
  
Yet a part of me told me he would. He did, once. At Battle City a long time ago. He risked himself, his life, to protect me from Yami's attack.  
  
'What a selfish bastard. He chose to destroy me, and could have if it weren't for my yami. I hate you, Pharaoh! You destroyed my yami, my only guardian, when he was weak, and crying! And now my soul has been torn in half and part of my spirit has died! Why did you do it,Yami Yugi? Why?!'  
  
My mind screamed these thoughts. I fought back sobs and wiped my eyes with my jacket sleeve.  
  
Maybe I could reach my yami through our mental link, like always. Maybe he could help me...maybe... Maybe he'd hear me if I called out hard enough...If I screamed his name in my head and hoped really hard...that he'd be here...with me...then maybe...he would...  
  
{Yami?} I called out in my mind.  
  
{Yami, can you hear me?!} No reply.  
  
{Yami, I need your help! I need you!}  
  
There was no mental link. It was gone. It no longer existed. That one, last bond between me and my yami was severed. I felt all hope was lost. I felt...so alone. And I wanted him.  
  
I pulled myself away from the wall and stared up at the sky. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled in turn. Rain still poured. A cold feeling wrapped around my heart, now an empty black void.  
  
"YAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!" I yelled at the blackish gray sky. I closed my eyes hard against the huge fat raindrops.  
  
"Come back! I didn't want him to do it! I didn't mean it!"  
  
But I knew. I had wanted him gone, rid from my life forever, banished to become devoured by darkness. I said it. I stood there, and said it to his face, eyes narrowed and spoke in a tone so similar to his, he stood shocked. He had counted on me to want him to stay...  
  
All I could recall was the image of him, and heard my own voice speak so coldly to him. "Sayonara, yami." The look of pure shock on his face.  
  
God, he must have felt like shit.  
  
"I'm sorry I made you feel like shit, mou hitori no boku. I shouldn't have raided your memories."  
  
"It was wrong. I'm sorry! Gomen nasai! Please forgive me! Please, come back and portect me! I need you more than anything right now!"  
  
My voice shook with emotion. I bit my lip and choked back sobs. I clenched my hand into a fist, as if that would help control my feelings.  
  
And suddenly, I laughed. "You were right. I am weak. I'm pathetic."  
  
I laughed a long, high pitched, insane laugh, then I started sobbing, crying my heart out. I sunk to the floor as my knees sagged. I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them, and buried my head in my damp clothes. I just sat there and cried.  
  
I cried until there were no more tears to fall, my eyes dry and stinging. I sniffled, wishing I had some kleenex or a kerchief. I knew I had to be brave and face this one on my own. All on my own.  
  
I just want to go home, but tere's this stalker. Who is he?! I decided to concentrate on that question. It was the only one clear in my head. Instinct was telling me this guy was dangerous, and I did not want to meet him.  
  
"It was Yami no Yugi in the dream...he's the murderer..."  
  
My yami's last words. Did they have some connection...? Who did he kill?  
  
'Think, think... Who died this past year?'  
  
'Malik!'  
  
Malik was murdered. There are a number of suspects as to who killed him...  
  
A chill passed through me. I felt like the guy following me was near. But I can't run forever, I had to hide. Hide... inside a building. Lightning flashed across the sky again, revealing Kaiba Corp.'s huge sky scraper. There, that's where I had to go. I broke into a run.  
  
I had only gone avout a yard or so when I tripped over something soft. I heard a hiss as I fell to the ground flat on my stomach. Stars winked before me, in and out of my sight. It took a moment for my breath to return to me and my vision to return. When it did, a pair of wide yellow eyes stared back at me through the dark. I stared hard and made out a pair of triangular shaped ears, whiskers, and a swishing tail. I scrambled into a sitting posistion. My stomach stung badly. I had hit my arm hard against something sharp. I ran a hand down my arm and felt it tingle painfully beneath my fingers. I felt a long cut down from my shoulder to half way down my forearm. I know it was bleeding, and it didn't help it was the same arm my yami injured.  
  
Whiskers brushed against my arm. I looked down. A black cat stared up at me. It meowed. I moved to pet it and the cat licked the wound on my arm with her small rough tounge. It rubbed its head against my leg affectionately. I pet its sleek black fur. Then I stood to my feet. I sensed that cold fear again. It was the ring, I was sure. It allowed me to sense when this 'stalker' came nearer. If I was to ever learn how to work it, it had to be now. Here, and now.  
  
"Ring...show me the way to Kaiba Corp..." I whispered. I pulled the millennium ring out from under my shirt and held it in the palm of my hand. I closed my etes and concentrated on its energy. The cold metal grew warm in my hand. I felt it pull me to the right. I started walking in that direction and opened my eyes. The millennium ring glowed brightly. I felt somewhat assured. The glow provided some light in the pitch black darkness. I ran faster as the ring pulled me around a corner. Lightning flashed at its regular intervals, revealing I was getting closer. I ran straight for a while.  
  
Kaiba Corp. was dark. The whole block was dark, with no lights. Black out.  
  
I ran through the gates and almost immediately tripped again. My stomach was protected from another hard smack against the ground by something. I got up again and checked my millennium ring. It was fine.  
  
I looked down at the thing I had tripped over. I took a step closer into a puddle. The ring flashed a bright light suddenly. My heart jolted. A dead body lay before me. A huge gash in the throat. I stumbled backward, my eyes widened. Blood, everywhere! I was stepping in it! I ran in he opposite direction toward the door to the building. I passed the statue of the Blue Eyes White Dragons. A shiver zipped down my spine and I felt so terrified I stooped in my tracks. I looked up at the statue.  
  
My heart stopped and I couldn't breathe. Lightning flashed and I saw the silhouette of Yami Malik sitting at he top of the statue. Crimson eyes glaring down at me.  
  
Panic seized me and I ran through the door fast as I could. I prayed that Kaiba would be here. That he could help me. I ran up the main stairway. "KAIBA!" I yelled. "Kaaaaiiiibbaaa!!!" I kept yelling his name over and over, running down the office hallways. I rushed to the elevator and pushed the up button.  
  
'I'm a baka!' I thought angrily.  
  
Power was out, thanks to the storm. Elevators won't work. "Dammit!" I cursed.  
  
I heard a noise behind me, like something falling to the floor.  
  
"Kaiba?" I whispered. "Kaiba, is that you?"  
  
The CEO stood by a desk. The thin beam of a flashlight shone on an object he'd knocked off the desk. He then shone the flashlight's beam in my face.  
  
"Bakura!" he cried.  
  
I rushed over to him. Kaiba looked around, shining the flashlight down hallways. Then he faced me.  
  
"Do you have any idea...Yami Malik is out to murder you?! What did you do to make him angry?!"  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"Yeah, he went on a killing spree, in case you haven't noticed. Out in the front. Past the gates. Don't tell me you didn't see that."  
  
"I did."  
  
"So, I have no idea why he's after you, but he told me to warn you."  
  
"Warn me...? Of what?"  
  
"That he's out for your blood."  
  
"I'm as clueless as you why he wants to kill me...but he was just outside on your crystal statue. Waiting."  
  
"Then what are you doing here?!"  
  
"I came for help because I can't keep running!" I yelled.  
  
Kaiba shone the flashlight at me again. He ran the beam over me, and stopped at my arm. He let out a low whistle.  
  
"Did he already get you?"  
  
"No...But he WILL!"  
  
Kaiba shook his head.  
  
"Don't look at me like that!" I said. "I nearly killed myself trying to run from him."  
  
"What about that crazy dark side of yours? In that thing?" He pointed to the ring. "Yami killed him. Soulshredded him." I said bitterly.  
  
"You're in deep shit." he said.  
  
"Look, can you help me?!" I said urgently.  
  
"Alright...only because you're Malik's friend."  
  
What was that supposed to mean? I didn't have time to figure it out, anyway.  
  
A loud slam came from downstairs. Footsteps came up the stairs.  
  
Kaiba and I exchanged frightened looks. Kaiba put a finger to his lips, signaling for me to be quiet. He snatched a pole by the door of an office. He tiptoed to the main entrance to this floor, where I came from. It was two doors made of strong, polished maple, that swung outward. Kaiba slid the pole between the brass handles of the two doors. He came back to me, with a frightened look on his face.  
  
"I heard him coming." he whispered.  
  
I stared at him, expecting him to have some kind of plan. He didn't.  
  
Kaiba looked around frantically.  
  
"No weapons..." he muttered. "The phone line is dead....cops wouldn't believe us anyway...your yami is gone...no way out but up...and I don't even know where the hell Mokuba is."  
  
"We're doomed." I said hopelessly.  
  
"We can grab something and rush at him..." Kaiba suggested. I sighed. "Though I already fought with him, and he burned my hands..." he said.  
  
We stood there and tried to think up of something. Kaiba's eyes searched me as he rubbed his chin in thought. His blue eyes lit up suddenly.  
  
"Hey, that pendent thing."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your ring. The metal thing hanging around your neck glowing."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Well...? Do you know how to work it?"  
  
"Sort of. I guess...It did get me here."  
  
"Then, we're going to have to rely on that."  
  
The millennium ring. Rely on something I hardly knew anything about. Oh, yami, if you were here...  
  
Golden light shone through the edges of the door, like something illuminated it from the other side. Then, the pole went flying and the door burst open. A cackle cut through the silence.  
  
Frozen with fear, I couldn't move. Kaiba launched himself into the air, diving at me. He shoved me under a desk before he crawled under himself. He put a hand over my mouth and grasped the flashlight tightly. My eyes went wide as saucers as I tried to suppress a whimper.  
  
I heard Yami Malik walk around the room.  
  
"Bakuuuurrrrraaa..." his deep voice purred. My blood turned ice cold. I didn't want to die...  
  
"We're too old for hide and seek games." he said. I could feel his eyes searching the room with their cold gaze.  
  
I glanced at Kaiba. I knew him too well to be hiding under a desk. Like a coward.  
  
He couldn't restrain himself any longer, and jumped up swiftly. He yanked me out from under the desk.  
  
"Stand up." he hissed. "You need to learn to defend yourself like a man. Use that ring thing of yours!"  
  
"I don't know how!"  
  
"I am not going to die at the hands of a maniac. Use it."  
  
"I don't know how-"  
  
"Do something!"  
  
Kaiba put his hand on my throat, blocking off my air.  
  
Fear struggled with anger and confusion inside me. Mixed feelings whirled around in my mind. The ring flashed with a golden light and Kaiba stumbled away from me. I rubbed the back of my head. A massive headache was coming on. I stepped back and my foot hit something on the floor. The metal pole blasted from the door.  
  
I snatched the pole and Kaiba's flashlight. I jumped over the desk and saw Yami Malik with his back to me. I rushed at him, holding the pole in front of me, so it was horizontal. Yami Malik turned around just in time, but the pole caught him in the stomach and he went down. He sunk to his knees and doubled over. I let go of the pole and ran past him. It was the second floor, but it was the only way I could think of...  
  
I leaped into the air, hurling myself at the huge window. I threw up my arms for protection against the glass.  
  
The glass shattered into a million pieces. Some buried in my hair, some cut my skin and clothes. The majority of it smacked and scraped my arms and hands, which were protecting my face. I felt the wind rush at me. I looked down. Long drop...  
  
I felt as if I was falling in slow motion. Wind pushed up against my back. I felt the cold air on my face and looked up at the window above me. I was falling with my back parallel to the ground. I heard a yell. 'Kaiba...' I thought. His body was thrown through the window seconds later. Blood splattered from him, dotting the air with dark red splashes. Red specks falling slowly in time. Yami Malik probably got angry and threw Kaiba out the window.  
  
My back hit something metal, for I felt it dent beneath me. The impact made my whole body jolt. The world which was moving above me, now halted to a stop and then turned black. I felt I was going to faint. The pain in my back was too great. Blackness gathered at the edge of my mind, ready to engulf me.  
  
'No. I can't give up. Not now.'  
  
I forced my eyes open and slid myself off the car I'd landed on. My legs gave beneath me and I crumpled to the floor. I grabbed the side mirror and pulled myself to my feet. I heard a heavy thud behind me. I turned around and saw Kaiba lying in a motionless heap on the ground. I walked on unsteady feet over to him.  
  
Blood spilled from a cut in his side. I turned him over gently on his back. Dark red drops trickled down his cheek, from his head. His eyes were closed. I looked at his chest. It didn't appear to be moving.  
  
"Oh my God..." I murmured. "Kaiba!" I cried. "Kaiba, you can't be-can't-"I couldn't say it. I shook his shoulders gently, my eyes wide in fear. If he was gone...  
  
"HELP!!!" I yelled into the night. "Somebody, help! Help! Anybody-please! Somebody...help..."  
  
No answer. Lightning flashed again. My only reply was the roll of thunder.  
  
'I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to di-'  
  
"Hey! Hey, are you all right?!"  
  
I squinted into the darkness. A police man ran toward me.  
  
"What happened here?" he asked.  
  
"Him!" I said. "See if he's-if he's...a-alive..."  
  
The police man bent down and took Kaiba's wrist. He felt for a pulse.  
  
"He's fine. Just unconscious. What happened to him?"  
  
How could I explain? Sure, an evil spirit just threw him out of the second story window of his own company. What? I'm not crazy. Why are you looking at me like that? Yes, an evil spirit. Asylum?  
  
"I'll explain later. He needs to be taken to a hospital!"  
  
"Looks like you do too. Here, let's carry him to my car."  
  
With the aid of the cop, we managed to get Kaiba's body into the back seat and lay him down carefully. I shut the door. The cop motioned for me to hop into the front seat. I hesitated, looking back at the tall building. Yami Malik wouldn't find us, would he? A coldness gripped my heart, telling me he would hunt me and Kaiba down.  
  
Yami no Yugi- 'Dark Yugi' (Yami Yugi)  
  
Hai- yes  
  
mou hitori no boku- my other self  
  
gomen/gomen nasai- I'm sorry  
  
Mokuba: Heh, KAIBA LIKES ISIS! XD  
  
Silver: If you want to know who likes who, or the pairings or whatever, here they are:  
  
MaixJonouchi  
  
ShizukaxHonda/Otogi (they're both fighting over each other for her)  
  
AnzuxYugi  
  
KaibaxIsis  
  
MalikxNamari (Malik married a woman he met in Egypt that went by the name 'Namari', she passed away when Mika was a child...I won't tell how just yet.)  
  
MokubaxJessica Yesh, Mokuba now has a girlfriend.  
  
I might as well clear some things up while I'm at it. This story confuses even me.  
  
Akei: You probably have noticed by now that we use the Japanese names for the characters. And if you haven't... cough bakas cough Just kidding. I know some people only know the dub names, so...  
  
Malik- Marik  
  
Anzu- Tea (her name looks like TEA! Like the stuff you drink!)  
  
Honda- Tristan  
  
Jonouchi (Jou for short) - Joey  
  
Shizuka- Serenity  
  
Isis- Ishizu  
  
And people, it's SETO Kaiba (and Mokuba Kaiba) and RYOU Bakura. Not the other way around. Sorri, it just annoys me when people say "Bakura Ryou". Stupid dubbers. --  
  
And, everyone is around 30 or so. Mokuba's like, in his mid 20's. And Mika is 17.  
  
Akei: Anything else confusing...?  
  
Silver: I think that helps...  
  
Oh yeah. Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! And I own Mika, Namari, and Jessica(though I haven't introduced them yet... sweatdrop)  
  
Akei: And don't worry, I'm not planning on killing off everyone. (I know it kinda already seems that way with Malik and Kaiba and Bakura... ; Didn't mean it!)  
  
Stay tuned for Chapter 6: A Deadly Shadow Game Face off with Yami Malik. Need I say more? I don't want to spoil it. ;  
  
Akei: Oh, right! Artwork has been moved to my page! I'm gonna do the drawings! http:maliks-silverwolf.deviantart.com  
  
R & R! :D  
  
Silver wolf and Akei 


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